There’s an odd dance we play with character. Major characters should come alive on the page. But we can’t label them, point at them, tell about them. We must show. Thus we come to the time-worn issue of showing vs. telling. Anyone else wrangle with this besides me? The constant pressure to avoid saying things directly can grind a writer down. And why, really, shouldn’t we just tell? Admit it, it would feel good for once to say: “Major Character A is dealing with these interna

Pacing errors can kill your story. Repetitive, low-tension paragraphs and scenes will get you more rejections than any other writing lapse. Pacing is the speed at which you tell your story. How quickly are you forwarding and deepening the plot? Is it too fast, appearing rushed? Too slow, losing the reader’s interest? Usually the problem is the latter: set-up paragraphs at the start of scenes, pointless scenes flailing at character development or background, too many words, sa

With all the demands of beginning a novel, it’s easy to overlook setting and milieu. It can feel like background. But attention here is well worth it. Payoffs include: Snatching the competitive edge. Editors are jaded. Give them something new. Sparking your imagination. Mine your setting, and let it keep your writing fresh. Giving your story context and complexity. Using the sensual world to deepen characters and their emotions. In science fiction and fantasy, it’s called wor