by Zoe M. McCarthy | Jan 7, 2016 | Writing
“A story without a theme is little more than a list of events.” —Grace JolliffeNever again, in a novel proposal, during a pitch, or at a social event, stare blankly when asked, “What is your story’s theme?”Get a handle on what theme is.Expert 1James Scott Bell gives...
by Zoe M. McCarthy | Dec 31, 2015 | Writing
“All writers find themselves – at some point – in the desert. A place where they feel isolated. Burnt out. Disheartened. Fearful.” —Allen ArnoldWas last year’s writing experience less outstanding than you hoped? Possibly, you’re working as if you’re an...
by Zoe M. McCarthy | Dec 17, 2015 | Writing
“The middle of our story should be the ‘meat’ of the story, as far as conflicts and arcs. Without setting up the obstacles here, any solution in the final act will seem too easy and won’t be as satisfying.” —Jamie GoldI pulled 5 books from my shelves. I paged to the...
by Zoe M. McCarthy | Dec 10, 2015 | Writing
“Avoid on-the-nose writing.” —Jerry JenkinsHere’s a passage from a book published in the 20’s: The Marriage of Barry Wicklow by Ruby M. Ayres. It contains 7 problems that bog the story for today’s reader. I’ve superscripted instances with the problem...
by Zoe M. McCarthy | Dec 3, 2015 | Writing
“A bee is never as busy as it seems; it’s just that it can’t buzz any slower.” —Kin HubbardWe’re between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Time for commitments has been cut at least by a third to get ready for Christmas.Earlier today, I was behind in my scheduled tasks....
by Zoe M. McCarthy | Nov 26, 2015 | Writing
“Simplicity is a virtue in writing, true; but never the primary virtue. … Vividness is.” —Dwight V. SwainI created the following paragraph, ignoring Dwight V. Swain’s recommendations for vivid writing in his book, Techniques of the Selling Writer.Her car had...
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