Categories
post

Community Authors – Creative Writing Lessons – The Payoff

 
As you close in on the final chapter or paragraphs of your story, ask yourself why the reader has dedicated this kind of time. What are they expecting to get out of your story, especially at the end?

They’re primarily looking for three different things…

 

Click below to view sample lessons
Intro * The Beginning * Vital Whispers * Story Building * Groundbreaking Stories * Your Sanctuary * Expectations * Foreshadowing * Suspended Disbelief * CWHO * Character * Wanted * However * Ongoing * The Plot Skeleton * Keeping the Reader’s Interest * Suspense * Arcs and the Plot * Supporting Characters * The Three Parts of Writing * Who’s Showing the Story? * Narrative Voice * Hooks * Crafting Sentences and Paragraphs * Descriptions * Dialogue * Show Don’t Tell * Flowing Choreography * Characterizing * Metaphors * Nonfiction * Commas * Making Your Writing Soulful * Driving Your Story Forward * Setting Tempo * The Payoff * Self-Editing Your Work * Final Thoughts
Write Your Best Story—Learn How Today
Prepare for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)

 
Offer Available for a Limited Time Only
Categories
post

Community Authors – Creative Writing Lessons – Making Your Writing Soulful

 
Why does one painting, photo, or symphony resonate with you while others do not?
Seriously. Take a moment to think about that.

My guess is you have a deep personal connection with your favorite works, your favorite novels, movies, video games—whatever form your art and stories take. But why?

And more importantly, how can we conjure as much of that magic as possible for ourselves in our writing?

 

Craft of Writing Course Outline
Click below to view sample lessons

Intro
The Beginning
Vital Whispers
Story Building
Groundbreaking Stories
Your Sanctuary
Expectations
Foreshadowing
Suspended Disbelief
CWHO
Character
Wanted
However
Ongoing
The Plot Skeleton
Keeping the Reader’s Interest
Suspense
Arcs and the Plot
Supporting Characters
The Three Parts of Writing
Who’s Showing the Story?
Narrative Voice
Hooks
Crafting Sentences and Paragraphs
Descriptions
Dialogue
Show Don’t Tell
Flowing Choreography
Characterizing
Metaphors
Nonfiction
Commas
Making Your Writing Soulful
Driving Your Story Forward
Setting Tempo
The Payoff
Self-Editing Your Work
Final Thoughts
Write Your Best Story—Learn How Today
Prepare for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)

 
Offer Available for a Limited Time Only
Categories
post

Community Authors – Creative Writing Lessons – Commas

 
Except for the pauses in tempo created by different punctuation, I’ve pretty much steered clear of grammar in this series. The reason is, at this point, I want you to write good sentences, paragraphs, and stories without getting too bogged down by grammar.

You use a different part of your brain when you edit or logically work out what punctuation goes where. Many times, even sentence structure should be worked out later.

I even suggest writing—at least starting a book by writing—free hand, with paper and pen. Scribble and draw connecting lines from one sentence to another, allow yourself the freedom to make a mess. I think you’ll find your creative juices start flowing. Once you’ve got a good start, transfer over what you have to the computer and keep going…

 

Craft of Writing Course Outline
Click below to view sample lessons

Intro
The Beginning
Vital Whispers
Story Building
Groundbreaking Stories
Your Sanctuary
Expectations
Foreshadowing
Suspended Disbelief
CWHO
Character
Wanted
However
Ongoing
The Plot Skeleton
Keeping the Reader’s Interest
Suspense
Arcs and the Plot
Supporting Characters
The Three Parts of Writing
Who’s Showing the Story?
Narrative Voice
Hooks
Crafting Sentences and Paragraphs
Descriptions
Dialogue
Show Don’t Tell
Flowing Choreography
Characterizing
Metaphors
Nonfiction
Commas
Making Your Writing Soulful
Driving Your Story Forward
Setting Tempo
The Payoff
Self-Editing Your Work
Final Thoughts
Write Your Best Story—Learn How Today
Prepare for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)

 
Offer Available for a Limited Time Only
Categories
post

Community Authors – Creative Writing Lessons – Flowing Choreography

 
I’ve stressed the importance of action in our writing, and a lot of times that action is the characters moving around a scene. Generally, there’s a lot of it in a book and often it’s not done very well. Many times, there’s a lack of originality, because we just want to move the story forward. Who cares how she walks across the room? She just does.

I find the level of detailed choreography required in a scene somewhat subjective, depending on the reader and the author’s intent.

Take these sentences for example…

 

Craft of Writing Course Outline
Click below to view sample lessons

Intro
The Beginning
Vital Whispers
Story Building
Groundbreaking Stories
Your Sanctuary
Expectations
Foreshadowing
Suspended Disbelief
CWHO
Character
Wanted
However
Ongoing
The Plot Skeleton
Keeping the Reader’s Interest
Suspense
Arcs and the Plot
Supporting Characters
The Three Parts of Writing
Who’s Showing the Story?
Narrative Voice
Hooks
Crafting Sentences and Paragraphs
Descriptions
Dialogue
Show Don’t Tell
Flowing Choreography
Characterizing
Metaphors
Nonfiction
Commas
Making Your Writing Soulful
Driving Your Story Forward
Setting Tempo
The Payoff
Self-Editing Your Work
Final Thoughts
Write Your Best Story—Learn How Today
Prepare for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)

 
Offer Available for a Limited Time Only
Categories
post

Community Authors – Creative Writing Lessons – Show Don’t Tell

 
You’ve probably heard the phrase “show don’t tell” before.
It’s easy to say, but what does it really mean?

I’ve worked with many writers, and I’m convinced that there are those who think visually—or to be more accurate, sensually, and those who think more in terms of telling facts—and linking them one-by-one. I think it’s the way we’re built, at least the way we’re naturally inclined, and it comes out on the page. But that doesn’t mean you can’t learn the skill of writing using the character’s senses.

But, why should you? Why should we care about the difference?

 

Craft of Writing Course Outline
Click below to view sample lessons

Intro
The Beginning
Vital Whispers
Story Building
Groundbreaking Stories
Your Sanctuary
Expectations
Foreshadowing
Suspended Disbelief
CWHO
Character
Wanted
However
Ongoing
The Plot Skeleton
Keeping the Reader’s Interest
Suspense
Arcs and the Plot
Supporting Characters
The Three Parts of Writing
Who’s Showing the Story?
Narrative Voice
Hooks
Crafting Sentences and Paragraphs
Descriptions
Dialogue
Show Don’t Tell
Flowing Choreography
Characterizing
Metaphors
Nonfiction
Commas
Making Your Writing Soulful
Driving Your Story Forward
Setting Tempo
The Payoff
Self-Editing Your Work
Final Thoughts
Write Your Best Story—Learn How Today
Prepare for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)

 
Offer Available for a Limited Time Only
Categories
post

Community Authors – Creative Writing Lessons – Hooks

 
Before we go too much further, I want to mention hooks.

It used to be you had to hook the reader within the first three pages, then it was the first couple paragraphs, and now it’s the first line. It’s more important than ever to draw the reader in emotionally, to peak their interest, intimately.

Let’s take a minute to read some opening lines to famous novels and see if you notice any similarities…

 

Craft of Writing Course Outline
Click below to view sample lessons

Intro
The Beginning
Vital Whispers
Story Building
Groundbreaking Stories
Your Sanctuary
Expectations
Foreshadowing
Suspended Disbelief
CWHO
Character
Wanted
However
Ongoing
The Plot Skeleton
Keeping the Reader’s Interest
Suspense
Arcs and the Plot
Supporting Characters
The Three Parts of Writing
Who’s Showing the Story?
Narrative Voice
Hooks
Crafting Sentences and Paragraphs
Descriptions
Dialogue
Show Don’t Tell
Flowing Choreography
Characterizing
Metaphors
Nonfiction
Commas
Making Your Writing Soulful
Driving Your Story Forward
Setting Tempo
The Payoff
Self-Editing Your Work
Final Thoughts
Write Your Best Story—Learn How Today
Prepare for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)

 
Offer Available for a Limited Time Only
Categories
post

Community Authors – Creative Writing Lessons – Who’s Showing the Story?

 
Whenever I teach point of view, I find people understand better if I give them the example of a robot.

So, imagine a robot with a camera for eyes and two microphones for ears, and he can only hear and see what’s around him. If he’s in the basement, he can only hear and see what’s going on in the basement. He may be able to vaguely hear something going on upstairs, but he’s pretty much limited to what’s going on around him.

In other words, his point of view is how we’re experiencing the environment around him, using his senses.
We’re going to come back to this. I just wanted to make sure you understood what point of view is.

Now, before crafting your story, give some thought to what…

 

Craft of Writing Course Outline
Click below to view sample lessons

Intro
The Beginning
Vital Whispers
Story Building
Groundbreaking Stories
Your Sanctuary
Expectations
Foreshadowing
Suspended Disbelief
CWHO
Character
Wanted
However
Ongoing
The Plot Skeleton
Keeping the Reader’s Interest
Suspense
Arcs and the Plot
Supporting Characters
The Three Parts of Writing
Who’s Showing the Story?
Narrative Voice
Hooks
Crafting Sentences and Paragraphs
Descriptions
Dialogue
Show Don’t Tell
Flowing Choreography
Characterizing
Metaphors
Nonfiction
Commas
Making Your Writing Soulful
Driving Your Story Forward
Setting Tempo
The Payoff
Self-Editing Your Work
Final Thoughts
Write Your Best Story—Learn How Today
Prepare for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)

 
Offer Available for a Limited Time Only
Categories
post

Community Authors – Creative Writing Lessons – Arcs and the Plot

 
There’s a lot that can be said about plotting, weaving elements into your story in a specific way. There are processes that work well for one person, but not for another.

Whether you create detailed character bio sheets and have your story outlined in detail, down to the type of soap in the hotel bathroom, or if you’re what they call a pantster—someone who writes by the seat of their pants—I think this analogy will help.

I’m a believer that your best writing happens when…

 

Craft of Writing Course Outline
Click below to view sample lessons

Intro
The Beginning
Vital Whispers
Story Building
Groundbreaking Stories
Your Sanctuary
Expectations
Foreshadowing
Suspended Disbelief
CWHO
Character
Wanted
However
Ongoing
The Plot Skeleton
Keeping the Reader’s Interest
Suspense
Arcs and the Plot
Supporting Characters
The Three Parts of Writing
Who’s Showing the Story?
Narrative Voice
Hooks
Crafting Sentences and Paragraphs
Descriptions
Dialogue
Show Don’t Tell
Flowing Choreography
Characterizing
Metaphors
Nonfiction
Commas
Making Your Writing Soulful
Driving Your Story Forward
Setting Tempo
The Payoff
Self-Editing Your Work
Final Thoughts
Write Your Best Story—Learn How Today
Prepare for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)

 
Offer Available for a Limited Time Only
Categories
post

Community Authors – Creative Writing Lessons – Suspense

 
When you say the word “suspense” people tend to think about gunshots, someone hanging on a cliff and their fingers systematically being peeled away by a first-rate asshole. But the truth is that suspense comes into play whenever there’s something to lose. That’s why all those life events we talked about matter, and why they’re inherently good story building material.

 

Craft of Writing Course Outline
Click below to view sample lessons

Intro
The Beginning
Vital Whispers
Story Building
Groundbreaking Stories
Your Sanctuary
Expectations
Foreshadowing
Suspended Disbelief
CWHO
Character
Wanted
However
Ongoing
The Plot Skeleton
Keeping the Reader’s Interest
Suspense
Arcs and the Plot
Supporting Characters
The Three Parts of Writing
Who’s Showing the Story?
Narrative Voice
Hooks
Crafting Sentences and Paragraphs
Descriptions
Dialogue
Show Don’t Tell
Flowing Choreography
Characterizing
Metaphors
Nonfiction
Commas
Making Your Writing Soulful
Driving Your Story Forward
Setting Tempo
The Payoff
Self-Editing Your Work
Final Thoughts
Write Your Best Story—Learn How Today
Prepare for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)

 
Offer Available for a Limited Time Only
Categories
post

Community Authors – Creative Writing Lessons – Keeping the Reader’s Interest

 
Dreams are stories we have yet to understand. The subconscious has a way of testing our emotions and fears, hypothetical situations our brains want us to be ready for. What if we went to school and didn’t realize that we were naked until we were sitting in class? What if there was something lurking in the shadows of our home, and as it drew closer, we realized we couldn’t move?

I believe it’s for this reason that…

 

Craft of Writing Course Outline
Click below to view sample lessons

Intro
The Beginning
Vital Whispers
Story Building
Groundbreaking Stories
Your Sanctuary
Expectations
Foreshadowing
Suspended Disbelief
CWHO
Character
Wanted
However
Ongoing
The Plot Skeleton
Keeping the Reader’s Interest
Suspense
Arcs and the Plot
Supporting Characters
The Three Parts of Writing
Who’s Showing the Story?
Narrative Voice
Hooks
Crafting Sentences and Paragraphs
Descriptions
Dialogue
Show Don’t Tell
Flowing Choreography
Characterizing
Metaphors
Nonfiction
Commas
Making Your Writing Soulful
Driving Your Story Forward
Setting Tempo
The Payoff
Self-Editing Your Work
Final Thoughts
Write Your Best Story—Learn How Today
Prepare for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)

 
Offer Available for a Limited Time Only
Community Authors