#17 — Characters with similar names A lot of writers—myself included—have characters with similar names. For one novel, I found about seven names that all started with the letter j. While we get these names right because we know the characters well, readers, who are learning them, might mix them up. Changing character names is … More Common writer mistakes #17
#13 — Dialogue tags vs action beats Dialogue tags can be tricky. But they’re easy to understand after knowing the difference between them and action beats. Dialogue tags show who’s speaking and how they’re speaking. These can include but are not limited to: Begged Exclaimed Grumbled Muttered Mumbled Said Screamed Shrieked Snapped Whispered Yelled Dialogue … More Common writer mistakes #13
Showing instead of telling is difficult. Most of the time, it’s hard to think of how to show something. I forgot who gave me this writing tip, but it’s one of the best ones I know: show through action. Or, in other words, show through your character interacting with the world. Here’s an example: It … More Best way to show instead of tell
We’ve all heard the saying show, don’t tell. Even as I edit, I find instances where I need to point that out. However, telling does have a purpose. It’s about how it’s used. And perhaps understanding it more will help writers know when and when not to use it. There are two main concepts where … More When to tell instead of show
#9 — Overusing character names Lately, I’ve seen a few writers overuse character names. They would use a name almost every chance they could. Here’s a fictional example: John walked over to Laurencia with the biggest smile on his face. He turned with his back away from Laurencia, careful not to let Laurencia see the … More Common writer mistakes #9
There are many POVs with questions surrounding all of them. I want to break them all down and discuss the biggest concerns in different posts. Today, I’ll talk about 3rd person POV. 3RD PERSON 3rd person has the most variety out of all POVs. There are three types: 3rd omniscient, 3rd objective, and 3rd limited. … More POV talk: 3rd person
There are many POVs with questions surrounding them. I want to break them all down and discuss the biggest concerns in different posts. Today, I’ll talk about 1st person POV. 1st person 1st person is intimate between the reader and the main character (MC). You get front row seats through the MC’s eyes. It also … More POV talk: 1st person
Creating strong characters is hard but important for readers to stay immersed in the story. Here are three main tips to help write characters: SHOW THE ADJECTIVES Instead of saying, “Josalyn is caring,” show how she’s caring. Does she take care of a child? Is she always there for others? Does she risk herself to … More 3 tips on writing characters
#7 — Not developing characters I’m sure we’ve all come across a character in a book who we didn’t feel anything toward much. We weren’t worried for the character’s well-being. Which doesn’t help us want to continue reading. It can take many drafts to get into a character’s head and develop them on the page. Some characters … More Common Writer Mistakes #7
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