by Zoe M. McCarthy | Aug 18, 2016 | Writing
Through two examples, I’ll show how employing point of view can enrich a scene as readers experience the setting, characterization, plot, and story theme.I’ll use the same elements for each example. Character: Clara Hill, a twenty-three-year-old woman. Theme: A...
by Zoe M. McCarthy | Aug 11, 2016 | Writing
I read articles on high concept. The definitions varied widely, but I was more intrigued with the elements that create what are called high concept stories. These elements can help with what I funnel into my stories—the bling. A great pitch naturally comes out.First,...
by Zoe M. McCarthy | Aug 4, 2016 | Writing
These mistakes could irritate and lose your readers for your current book and all your future books.Insufficient grounding. The reader struggles to establish the who, where, and when from the beginning of a book or scene.The age of the character’s son isn’t revealed....
by Zoe M. McCarthy | Jul 28, 2016 | Writing
I’m rewriting a story to take care of some issues. While struggling with the first chapter, I saw David Corbett’s article, “Backstory From the Front” published in Writers Digest July/August 2016. His concept of how to use backstory is exactly what I needed.I’m talking...
by Zoe M. McCarthy | Jul 21, 2016 | Writing
While researching whether or not to use flashbacks, I received warnings from, “Don’t,” to “If you must.”Reasons to resist flashbacks. They often:stem from the author’s wish to explain everything – info dumps of old news.tell information that can be shown through...