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When developing the rising action section of your story, there a few simple guidelines to follow. Ensuring these guidelines aren’t violated will help keep the story moving forward and increase the dramatic tension:• Our hero never can give up – If he stops trying to overcome the central problem, the story would end. There may be moments where…

During my years of editing, I’ve found that dialogue often gives beginning fiction writers trouble. In an effort to make clear who is speaking, the writer often ends up slowing the story’s pace and making for a clunky read. For example, when an exchange is going on between two characters, there’s no need to state who’s…

“Ink, a Drug.” – Vladimir Nabokov “I’m only really alive when I’m writing.” – Tennessee Williams “It seemed to me that if I didn’t write, I would disappear.” – Frederick Seidel “I read the way a person might swim, to save his or her life. I wrote that way too.” – Mary Oliver “You need the…

A common problem that can sneak into your manuscript when self-publishing is a mix of quotation mark and apostrophe styles. That’s because some software programs use smart quotes, or those that are curved, while others use dumb quotes, or those that are straight. Typographically in paperbacks, smart quotes (also referred to as curly quotes) are preferred…

One of the downsides of a language is it evolves, so we go through periods in which words become extinct and other ones arise to meet the new cultural climate. Such is the case with the word “bated,” which used to be a fairly common English word meaning “hold back or abate.” Almost no one uses…

Setting is the story’s time and the place in which the plot unfolds. Sometimes it’s referred to as the “scene.” For example, in “Star Trek: The Original Series”, the setting typically is the 23rd century and various parts of the starship Enterprise, such as the bridge, sickbay, engineering and transporter room. The various locations that the…

“Not every story has explosions and car chases. That’s why they have nudity and espionage.” – Bill Barnes and Gene Ambaum “I don’t praise plots as accurate representations of life, but as ways of keeping readers reading.” – Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. “The image that fiction presents is purged of the distractions, confusions and accidents of ordinary life.”…

When promoting your self-published book, the social media tool Tumblr ought to play an important role in the marketing strategy. Knowing when to post, however, can maximize your efforts. According to a number of studies, the best time to pin is 7-10 p.m. Sundays through Tuesdays and Friday evenings. Social media users tend to look at…