Write Better Fiction / 115 posts found
Desperate vs. Disparate (Grammar Rules)
For this Grammar Rules post, we look at two disparate words that sound desperately similar when spoken aloud. While both are adjectives, they have disparate definitions for people desperate for the best word for their unique situation. (Common Writing Mistakes and How to Fix Them.) So let’s look at the differences between desperate and disparate and when to use each. Desperate vs. Disparate Desperate is an adjective that can take on a few different meanings. First, it can mean giving up hope or the possibility of hope. Second, it can describe an action taken in response to this despair. Third, it […]
Paul Vidich: On Romance in Espionage
Paul Vidich is the acclaimed author of The Mercenary, The Coldest Warrior, An Honorable Man, and The Good Assassin, and his fiction and nonfiction have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, LitHub, CrimeReads, Fugue, The Nation, Narrative Magazine, Wordriot, and others. He lives in New York City. Find him on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Paul Vidich Photo by Bekka Palmer In this post, Paul discusses the inspiration behind his new literary spy novel, The Matchmaker: A Spy in Berlin, the drafting process and his beta readers, and more! Name: Paul VidichLiterary agent: Will Roberts, The Gernert CompanyBook title: The Matchmaker: A […]
The Four Doorways Into Story and How to Use Them to Create a Bestselling Novel
What is your favorite part of a fictional book? What part of a good book do you remember long after you’ve finished reading it? What is the most important part of a book to you? The way we answer these questions as readers often has a major influence on how we write, whether we realize it or not. (How to Love Writing a Book) Librarian Nancy Pearl has a theory she calls the Four Doorways, which states that, for readers, there are four main doorways into fiction. These doorways are story, character, setting, and language, and which one you enjoy […]
2022 February Flash Fiction Challenge: Day 2
I hope you had a great first day of this challenge. If you missed it, no worries; it’s still easy to catch up! If you did write yesterday, let’s do it again! For today’s prompt, I’m thinking about things that end where they began. For this reason, let’s go ahead and write something circular! Remember: As mentioned yesterday, these prompts are just starting points; you have the freedom to go wherever your flash of inspiration takes you. (Note: If you happen to run into any issues posting, please just send me an e-mail at mrichard@aimmedia.com with the subject line: Flash […]
5 Keys to Writing a Slow Burn Romance
Anyone who really knows me would happily tell you that patience is not a virtue I possess. (What Writers Should Know About High-End Weddings) And yet, patience is key when writing a slow burn romance, because it’s not just the reader waiting to get to “the good parts,” but the writer as well. You have to lay the foundation, create the tension, and amp up the angst, so that by the time your couple finally gives in, all the pining pays off. Here are a few tips to make that slow burn flame hot hot hot: 1. Build the tension. […]
2022 February Flash Fiction Challenge: Day 1
Time to get writing! If you’re on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram (or anywhere else), be sure use the #FlashFictionFeb hashtag. Now, let’s get cracking! For today’s prompt, write about a key. It could be a physical key, a metaphorical one, or even something completely abstract—it’s totally up to you! Remember: These prompts are just starting points; you have the freedom to go wherever your flash of inspiration takes you. (Note: If you happen to run into any issues posting, please just send me an e-mail at mrichard@aimmedia.com with the subject line: Flash Fiction Challenge Commenting Issue. Fingers crossed there are […]
Tic vs. Tick (Grammar Rules)
Tic and tick are homophones that have very different meanings. One word is often tied to involuntary (or unconscious) movements or language, while the other has to do with clocks, sounds, counting, and bloodsucking arachnids. (Common Writing Mistakes and How to Fix Them.) So let’s look at the differences between tic and tick and when to use each. Tic vs. Tick Tic is a noun that refers to a frequent quirk of behavior or speech of a person. For instance, a person who says “um” frequently between words or the word “like” would be considered to have a verbal tic or […]
How Writers Can Apply Business Tools to Their Writing
When artistry unites with a little business know-how, you can grow your writing career, reach new audiences, and increase the impact your words get to have on the world. (What Is an ARC in Publishing and Writing?) In my first term of graduate business school, I stood in front of my class to give a presentation introducing myself to them. I started by talking about my day job career as an analyst and what had led me to pursue my MBA. Then I looked down, paused, looked back up, and started over, this time introducing myself as a fantasy and […]
6 Things Every Writer Should Know About Sylvia Beach and Shakespeare and Company
You know, it’s funny that it took me so long to write The Paris Bookseller—I’ve been carrying Sylvia’s story around inside me since I was 20 years old, which is when I read her memoir, a slim volume called Shakespeare and Company. I found an old paperback of it in a used book bin outside one of the many bookstores in my college town, and since I was an English major obsessed with the 1920s, I read it right away. (Kerri Maher: On Playing the Long Game) I was charmed by Sylvia’s recollections of her bookstore and lending library and […]
Karen Hamilton: On Cause and Effect
Karen Hamilton spent her childhood in Angola, Zimbabwe, Belgium, and Italy, and worked as a flight attendant for many years. Karen is a graduate of the Faber Academy and, having now put down roots in Hampshire to raise her young family with her husband, she satisfies her wanderlust by exploring the world through her writing. She is also the author of international bestseller The Perfect Girlfriend and The Last Wife. Karen Hamilton In this post, Karen discusses the “then and now” format of her new domestic thriller, The Ex-Husband, what she hopes readers get out of the experience, and more! […]