by Zoe M. McCarthy | Oct 27, 2016 | Writing
I heard about an exercise to increase tension in which participants wrote a situation, then were told 10 times in succession to make the circumstances worse. Sometimes, we writers are too quick to be satisfied with the tension we’ve created. But the exercise showed...
by Zoe M. McCarthy | Oct 20, 2016 | Writing
What you can learn about dialogue from actual conversations is amazing. Exercise Recall a discussion you’ve had that contained conflict. Write the dialogue down as close to what was said as you can. I had this dialogue with my husband this morning: Me:...
by Zoe M. McCarthy | Oct 13, 2016 | Writing
In Stephen James’s article, “Tension & Release” (Writer’s Digest – January 2015), he tells us: “Readers want to wonder, worry, anticipate, and hope.” To understand this better, I’ve tested these readers’ goals against the story of “Rapunzel” by Jacob and Wilhelm...
by Zoe M. McCarthy | Oct 6, 2016 | Writing
Most writers have heard they must read, write, and rewrite often to become a better writer. True, but here are other tips to improve our writing. Subscribe to a writers’ magazine. I find the articles in Writer’s Digest supply fresh ideas and writing techniques. When I...
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