Category Archives: Newsletter

Craft of Writing: Use Plain English, PleaseEver read a sentence in a story and excogitate why the author couldn’t just use plain English? The author is guilty of polysyllabism, or using a long word for effect even though a shorter word is better. For example, the first sentence of this entry would have been writtenContinue reading “Use Plain English, Please – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for July 28, 2026”

Craft of Writing: Avoid Handwaving to Cover Story FlawSometimes when a car salesman has a shoddy vehicle to sell, he tries to distract you from the flaw by pointing out something that’s good – like turning up the radio and raving about the great sound system so you don’t hear the engine knock. READ MORE Self-PublishingContinue reading “Avoid Handwaving to Cover Story Flaw – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for July 21, 2026”

Craft of Writing: Cut Card Tricks in the DarkNo one likes a show off. Unfortunately, one way novice writers slow their story is by saying “Look see what I can do!” When they use such authorial cleverness for no purpose other than to show off, they’re guilty of using “card tricks in the dark,” a termContinue reading “Cut Card Tricks in the Dark – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for July 14, 2026”

Craft of Writing: Strike out NullsSometimes the only purpose of a story’s sentence is to say that nothing happened. Such sentences are called “nulls.” READ MORE Everything You Must Know to Self-Publish Your EbookYou’ve written a book and want to publish it as an ebook. But how do you do that? Maybe you’ve watched a videoContinue reading “Strike out Nulls – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for July 7, 2026”

Craft of Writing: Step Down on AuthorismsSometimes when writers just can’t think of what to put on the page, they resort to an inappropriate technique known as an authorism. An authorism – coined by American writer Thomas M. Disch – occurs when the writer places his or her physical environment, mannerisms and prejudices into the story.  READContinue reading “Step Down on Authorisms – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for June 30, 2026”

Craft of Writing: Show, Don’t TellAs a fiction writer, you’ll want virtually all of your sentences to show rather than tell. There a few instances when the author needs to “tell” – such as quickly providing a back story or to make dialogue sound realistic – but such occurrences should be rare. READ MORE Self-PublishingContinue reading “Show, Don’t Tell – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for June 23, 2026”

Craft of Writing: Generate Tension by Leaving Reader in DoubtAny story you tell by definition has a plot, characters, setting, point of view and theme. But to really make a story pop, an author has to interweave and play these elements against one another so that the story has tension. READ MORE How to Format YourContinue reading “Generate Tension by Leaving Reader in Doubt – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for June 16, 2026”

Craft of Writing: Create an Uncertain Outcome for Your Main CharacterIf you’re story feels flat, you may want to look at the plot and ask yourself, “Do my readers have a sense of anticipation yet uncertainty about what will come next?” If the answer is “No,” then your story lacks suspense. READ MORE The Ultimate GuideContinue reading “Create an Uncertain Outcome for Your Main Character – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for June 9, 2026”

Craft of Writing: Sustain Dramatic Tension through Good PacingAs developing your story, maintaining a sense of tension is vital. Without dramatic tension – a feeling of uncertainty in the reader about how the main character will solve (or even if he will resolve) the central problem – the story will be flat and vanilla. READ MOREContinue reading “Sustain Dramatic Tension through Good Pacing – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for June 2, 2026”

Craft of Writing: Give Your Story Oomph! with Narrative DriveEver read a story before bed and find it so gripping that you stay up far later than you should just to find out what is going to happen? If so, you’ve been a “victim” of narrative drive. READ MORE Writing Advice: Using a Writing Process WhenContinue reading “Give Your Story Oomph! with Narrative Drive – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for May 26, 2026”