by Marg McAlister | Plotting, Mystery and Crime, Writing Fiction
I admit that this might start to sound a bit like the developments in your favorite (or most-hated) soap opera – but remember: readers LOVE to be surprised! Your job is to tread the fine line between giving them a plot twist that they didn’t see coming,...
by Marg McAlister | Characters, Writing Fiction
When you go to see a movie, you instantly know what characters look like; one glance at the screen lets you absorb dozens of small details. Obviously, writers have a much harder task. You do have one advantage over film: you can tap into the character’s...
by Marg McAlister | Plotting, Writing Fiction
Here’s a quick question for you: what’s easiest to write – a ‘woman in jeopardy’ story or a police procedural? If you are (or have been) a police officer, then ‘police procedural’ might be the answer for you. If you know...
by Marg McAlister | Plotting, Writing Fiction
What are “TURNING POINTS” in a novel? Put simply: a turning point in a story is A POINT AT WHICH THINGS CHANGE. You should be able to find a turning point in most of your scenes: it’s an indication that your story is moving forward. Any story is full...
by Marg McAlister | Plotting, Writing Fiction
So, it’s official. You’re stuck. Maybe you can’t come up with a decent story idea. Maybe you’ve no idea of where to take the plot. Or possibly you’re just losing patience with an intractable character. Whatever it is, you feel as though...
by Marg McAlister | Plotting, Writing Fiction
Story endings are hard to write – often much harder than beginnings. Any author who wants to be published must understand how to write a book with a powerful ending. It’s important to know two things: one, what will disappoint readers (and editors) and...
by Marg McAlister | Plotting, Writing Fiction
I admit that this might start to sound a bit like the developments in your favourite (or most-hated) soap opera – but remember: readers LOVE to be surprised! Your job is to tread the fine line between giving them a plot twist that they didn’t see coming,...
by Marg McAlister | Plotting, Writing Fiction
Writers are always thinking about plots and outlines. If you’re writing a book, you’re thinking about plots, subplots, plot twists, characters, motivation and heaven knows what else. If you’re writing an article, you’re thinking about the...
