Nonfiction comes in a variety of genres and can have tremendous impact on the reader. But within each, the importance of keeping the reader’s attention and giving them solid take-away is important. Your writing can come alive when you use …
Writing Craft
Some of my Favorite Fiction Techniques
Today I’m just going to highlight a few fiction techniques I love finding in a manuscript.
Beats
This is a technique the author uses to seamlessly substitute an action that identifies the character in place of the tired old he-said, …
Words as Quandrums
Quandrum. If a quandry (perplexity in a difficult situation) and a conundrum (vexing question) had a baby, it would be…a quandrum.
Writers love words, but they’re less in love with words that are quandrums. “What does that mean?” “How is …
An Agent on the Fence: What’s the Tipping Point?
I’m the new kid on the block when it comes to agenting. I’ve been surprised by a few things about this career, one of them being just how often agents feel undecided about a project when reading queries and proposals. …
Not What You Think
Some elements of an author’s proposal are not what you’d think. They seem like a good thing, but may make the opposite impression from the one you’re looking for.
“I’m in the process of having a professional website created/updated.”
What …
Working Through Overwhelm
‘Tis the season of the writers conference, both in-person and virtual. Perhaps you’ve just attended one, and you feel as if a mountain of useful information has been placed in your lap. You’re thrilled to have it, it’s what you …
How to Cook a Book
Let’s explore how to cook a nonfiction book. I am an enthusiastic home cook. It’s a hobby and rather than cooking the same thing over and over again, I try to stay fresh so my enthusiasm for this daily task …
Five Tips to Becoming a Better Writer
Writing is about putting one word after another, in such a way that the reader will be drawn into the text. But as with all endeavors, becoming a better writer comes with frustrations. Here are five things that I have …
Five Things I Wish I Knew Earlier
Twenty five years ago I signed my first official publishing contract. I knew very little about publishing and even less about what to expect personally. I was in my early forties, a ministry leader in a large mega-church when contacted …
Why Aren’t They Smiling?
A writer might ask, “Why aren’t they smiling? My speaking audience, my critique partners, my agent, my editor, my best friend–and half the humor was about her! Why is no one smiling except me?”
Writing humor into a talk or …