Write Better Fiction / 115 posts found
Fear Factor: How Embedding in Extreme Environments Can Lead to Compelling Fiction
Fear is a big, dumb mutt of a word. It’s what you feel when a bus barrels at you head on, when a wonky email lands in your inbox, when your kid says he’ll be home by nine and it’s nearly 11. But fear is useful. It springs you from the path of that bus, lifts your hand from the keys, fires up your detective skills to track down your kid. But fear, in all its incarnations—dread, apprehension, anxiety, unease, even awe—can do more than save you from buses; it can also make you smarter, more adept in your surroundings, […]
28 Writing Prompts for the 2022 Flash Fiction Challenge
Find all 28 prompts for the 2022 February Flash Fiction Challenge below. I will link each day back to the original post with a super concise prompt. Just click the link if you need more guidance or ideas on how to come at the prompt. Happy writing! 28 Flash Fiction Prompts for the 2022 February Flash Fiction Challenge! Day 1: Write about a keyDay 2: Write something circularDay 3: Write something based on the dialogue “Where does this lead?” “Nowhere good.”Day 4: Write about a dream coming trueDay 5: Write about a mystery Day 6: Write about a character attempting […]
Lynn Hightower: On Being a Thriller Writer
Lynn Hightower is the author of numerous thrillers, including the Sonora Blair and Lena Padget detective series. Her internationally bestselling novels have been included in the New York Times List of Notable Books, the London Times’ bestseller lists, the WH Smith Fresh Talent Awards, and the Shamus award. Also, Lynn teaches Master Novel classes in the UCLA Extension Writing Program, and works as a manuscript consultant/writing coach for novelists. Find her on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Lynn Hightower In this post, Lynn discusses the curiosity that led her to write her new paranormal thriller, The Enlightenment Project, her advice for […]
Ron Franscell: On the Secret to His Writing Success
Ron Franscell is the acclaimed author of 18 books and has been hailed as one of America’s most respected narrative nonfiction writers. Although he has covered war and natural disasters abroad as a journalist, he authored the international true-crime bestsellers The Darkest Night and the 2017 Edgar finalist Morgue: A Life in Death. His debut book Angel Fire—a USA Today bestselling literary novel about two brothers’ necessary relationship and the wounds of war—was listed by the San Francisco Chronicle among the 100 Best Novels of the 20th Century West. Find him on Twitter and Facebook. Ron Franscell Photo by Ashley […]
2022 February Flash Fiction Challenge: Day 28
Today is our last day writing together for this challenge! I can’t believe how fast it went; I’ve had such a joy writing with all of you this month and seeing how wonderful and creative your stories are. And for everyone who has reached out to me with kind words about this challenge, I want to tip my hats off to you as well—we’re all in this together, which is what makes it so fun! Because we’re closing out this challenge, I’m thinking of endings. But also of things that should end but don’t, and things you think are endings […]
2022 February Flash Fiction Challenge: Day 27
For today’s prompt, let’s take something intangible—like an idea—and give it a physical body. 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 Fiction Challenge Commenting Issue.) Here’s my attempt at giving physical form to an idea: Our Foxes Sweat rolled down my spine and soaked into the lining of my bra. I regretted asking for an outdoor table. Moving north to Maine […]
5 Steps for Using Setting to Write Compelling Middle-Grade Narrative Fiction
Middle-grade protagonists and readers have minds hungry to define their worlds. It’s the work of this age group, after all, before they grow into young adults with the angst of determining how they fit, or do not, into the worlds they’ve defined. For this reason, setting is vital to middle-grade narrative. (Why We Should Read Middle Grade Fiction as Adults) I live in Vail, Colorado, where our inclined Rocky Mountain setting is obvious. Many people live or travel here to ski, snowboard, hike, bike, raft, hunt, kayak, Jeep, camp—to interact or recreate with nature. The surrounding peaks’ zig-zag horizons and […]
Green Herring: How to Camouflage a Villain in a Mystery Novel
I can see you frown: “Wait a minute. Green herring? Are you sure? Shouldn’t it be red herring?” Nope! There’s no mistake in the title. The herring in this case is really supposed to be green, and that’s what makes it so much fun for me to write about! But let’s start with a quick refresher on the more familiar red herring. A “red herring” is a form of misdirection, and one of the time-tested ways to create such a misdirection in a mystery story, or in a story that uses mystery elements in its plot. As you probably know, […]
2022 February Flash Fiction Challenge: Day 26
For today’s prompt, structure your story as a list. 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 Fiction Challenge Commenting Issue.) Here’s my attempt at writing a list: Things You Do While Waiting for Your Life to Change 1. Online Shop It starts small. Yoga mats and free weights that you’ll use a handful of times and never again. Maybe a pasta maker […]
2022 February Flash Fiction Challenge: Day 25
For today’s prompt, let’s write something that ends with a promise. It could be that a promise is made from one character to another or that your character promises themselves something or is promised something or even that a promise is broken. 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 Fiction Challenge Commenting Issue.) Here’s my attempt at ending on a promise: […]