Posts Tagged ‘fiction’

What are you talking about?

Theme is a loaded word. In fiction, it aroused the suspicion that we’re preaching about something. Can’t we just give the story a compelling plot and great characters? Why should there be a theme?

gldn theme

The Golden Theme: How to Make Writing Appeal to the Highest Common Denominator

The answer, I’ve been learning, is that theme is to help clarify for the writer, why she or he is writing the book. And what the book will be about, boiled down to its essence.

I usually come into a novel’s theme after working on concept and characters for a couple weeks at the outset of my planning process, I develop/recognize the book’s theme about then, and it guides the major decisions of the plot and much of the execution.

In fact, theme has guided every book I’ve written since 2008. Because of Brian McDonald. Read More…

Top Writing the World Posts of 2013

High cat

Courage, faith, balance. Essentials for the writing life

This year on my blog I’ve had fun sharing my views, exploring the writing industry and tracking the launch of my new book.

I’m very grateful to those of you who drop by from time to time check out the goings on and say hello.  It’s nice to know we’re not alone in this rather hermit-like practice of writing.

So, many thanks for helping to make this a great year, one for which I am deeply thankful, at least today, when I consider how blessed I am to be able to write stories and have contact with so many friends and acquaintances!

#SFWAAuthors

The Best of My Blog This Year.

 The Next Fiction Dream Read More…

Nonfiction Inspires Fiction

It’s all cannon fodder. Everything you do, are, and think about goes into your fiction. Why? First of all, you can’t help it. You are your best source of experiences and facts. Next, you need tons of material to write short stories and novels; you have to mine the world to get stuff.

Short Stories from Newspapers

Take nonfiction, for example. If you’re like me, you do read nonfiction, for general education, out of curiosity about things, and to get a break from fiction. But often nonfiction will spark stories. Read More…