Start with a Bang: Strong First Chapters

Last week I talked about the promise a first chapter makes to the reader, and what you should include. This essay from  Advanced Plotting   ...

Creating a Strong Voice: Use Dialog to Show

I’ve talked about using the five senses to “show” rather than tell. I also talked about using strong and specific nouns and verbs, being cau...

Creating a Strong Voice: When You Might Need to “Tell”

I’ve been talking about the difference between showing and telling, and made a strong case (I hope) for showing. However, every rule has i...

Creating a Strong Voice: Show, Don’t Tell Emotion

Last week I talked about the difference between showing and telling. One of the most common places author slip up and tell rather than show...

Creating a Strong Voice: How to Show, Not Tell

Writers often hear the advice “Show, don’t tell.” But what exactly does that mean? At a basic level, showing is really pretty simple. Showin...

Creating a Strong Voice: Be Specific

One way to strengthen your writing voice is to make sure you are choosing strong, specific words. In particular, focus on strong nouns and...

What Is Voice—And How Do I Get It?

Spend much time around editors and writers, and you’ll hear a lot about voice. It may be the number one thing editors want to see in a man...