Today, I’ve decided on a very subjective exploration about what makes me give a novel an unflinching thumbs up. This is not a blog that represents anyone’s taste but mine. Purely personal. I’m guessing there wouldn’t be another literary agent …
dialogue
How to Avoid the Historical Fiction Wall-Banger
Let’s talk about what makes an historical novel a wall-banger. That’s what author Elizabeth Chadwick calls the kind of book that annoys the reader enough to chuck it at the wall in disgust. Medieval mysteries have been my dessert reading …
Conquer Dialogue Punctuation
I really wanted to title this “Conquer Dialogue Punctuation, PLEASE!” but thought it might be a bit much. It’s not easy. Let’s all admit that. No one is born knowing how. And writers have all kinds of excuses for struggling …
Five Ways to Wrangle Dialect
I almost stopped reading the book that eventually opened my eyes to the power of inspirational fiction and set me on a path to author and agent. Almost set the book aside after a few pages.
Why? Because the dialect …
The Value of Watching Bad Movies
blogger: Cynthia Ruchti
Hunkered down before it was mandated–due to a virus without a fancy, recognizable name–I’ve been watching a lot of free movies online. Some of them were poorly written, directed, or acted, but I kept watching. On purpose. …
Five Tips for Writing Zinger Dialogue
by Cynthia Ruchti
What’s “zinger dialogue” in a novel or creative nonfiction?
It’s dialogue that:
reaches its target
communicates effectively
and engages the reader to be
drawn deeper into the story
and more deeply connected to the characters.
…
Dialogue that Dances
Blogger: Cynthia Ruchti
Dancing dialogue does double-duty. It ramps up tension and reveals character.
How can dialogue move from “lying on the couch” to “dancing with the stars”?
Do away with most space-fillers.
They don’t accomplish the casual or hesitant …