The Short Of It
Understanding the journey your protagonist is taking
Character arcs are the journey our characters go through the course of a story. We’re not talking about the physical journey, but the emotional one. A journey is demonstrated through behaviors (who we are is reflected in our actions), but about internal changes in beliefs, self-truth, and morality.
There are…
The Short Of It
On writing and editing theme
Characters are the “who.” The setting is the “where.” The plot is the “what.” Narrative strategy is the “how.”
But the themes are the why. Why are you telling the story the way you are telling it? Why are you telling the story at all?
Much like style and voice…
The Short Of It
Mix up your editing
So you wrote it, now you’ve got to edit it. Some people prefer editing and second drafts to the initial drafting process, and some people dread. Whatever part of that sliding scale you fall on, the truth remains that you’ve got to do it.
Luckily for all of us, just…
Protip: be enthusiastic about the books you love
Readers love reading, but we don’t always have a ton of disposable income to buy every book, support every Patreon, and whatnot of all the authors we enjoy and wish to support.
So how can we support them if not with the mula?
Borrow
The number one rule of supporting authors…
The Short Of It
The curtain is blue for a reason
Any literature teachers in the house?
Symbolism has gotten a bit of a bad wrap on the internet as of late. (As well as some defenders popping out from the woodwork.) A lot of this criticism is from the reader-side and the “remember the time as a student in a…
The Short Of It
Three praxis for developing your individual writing style
As a fiction writer, developing your voice and style is a highly individual thing. As well-storied.com says, style “is the unique way they use words to capture their work on the page.” In that way, no one can teach you your style. It’s not grammar rules. It’s not even the…
On how to write for children without writing “down” to children
Along with being a writer, I have spent over the last six years being a children’s librarian. So when it comes to the quality of writing for children, I have opinions. Informed opinions, I hope.
In this article, when I refer to children’s books and literature, it is intended as…
The Short Of It
When to follow the rules of writing, and when to ditch them
I’ve created quite a little collection of articles about the rules of creative writing. What you should do. What you shouldn’t do. Tips. Tricks. Hacks. Warnings. Explanations. So it might seem strange that I am saying you should forget the rules sometimes.
I don’t think it’s strange I’m saying that…
The Short Of It
On writing effective scenes
Scenes are the building blocks of stories, whether a short story, novel, or memoir. In short stories, a story can be as short as one scene and can be as many scenes as the story demands.
As building blocks — or perhaps more accurately, puzzle pieces — that make up…
The Short Of It
And what to do instead
I come at this from a place of experience. These are not plots/tropes that can never be written, but require a deft hand to pull off. But they are also plots I saw commonly pop up in the workshop classes I took when working towards my BA in Creative Writing…
Margery Bayne
Margery is a librarian by day and a writer by night; a published short story author and an aspiring novelist. More at www.margerybayne.com or @themargerybayne.
