The use of prologues is one of those discussion points — along with “plot v. pants” and cliffhangers — that can divide a roomful of writers in an instant. Fans of the technique will tell you that a well-written prologue is essential for certain types of books, while naysayers will say it’s a lazy writer’s way to…
Category: Writing Q & A
Why Are Cliffhangers Bad?
One of the most common frustrations expressed by fans of fiction in TV, movies, and books is the proliferation of the cliffhanger. When a story seems like it’s building to a satisfactory ending and then just STOPS, the reader or viewer is first jolted out of his groove and then bristled into irritation. “Hey ……
When Is It Acceptable to Use Sentence Fragments in Your Writing?
Some real sticklers for the grammar rulebook — like your high school English teacher, probably — would tell you that it’s never OK to use sentence fragments in your writing. Those people are wrong. Very wrong. (See what I did there?) But wait! First …. What Is a Sentence Fragment? A sentence fragment is not…
Do You Need a Specific Education to Be a Writer?
There are no specific educational requirements for becoming a professional writer. The rules of grammar and punctuation that you learned in high school will give you the basic skills you need to start honing your craft. However, particular types of writing jobs at certain career levels generally do require more advanced training, and all writers…
Should You Write Like You Talk?
One issue that divides writing experts is whether authors should strive to “write like you talk” or adopt a more formal and rigid approach to our prose. Strong arguments can be — and are — made on both sides of the line, but what’s best for you? The answer will depend on your genre and…
What Is an Author’s Voice?
In brief, an author’s voice is the unique combination of literary elements that makes his stories “feel” different from everyone else’s. Components of writing that help define voice are syntax, character development dialogue, word choice, dialect, punctuation, sentence length, and even formatting. “Voice” is sometimes used interchangeably with broad concepts like style, diction, and tone,…
Should I Use Profanities in My Writing?
Hell, yes, you should use profanities in your writing! Well, maybe. Some would contend that swearing cheapens your prose and turns off your audience. Others will tell you that expletives are part of normal, real speech and can spice up your writing. The truth is, word usage of any kind depends on your setting, characters,…
What Should Every Aspiring Writer Know About Writing?
First off, I don’t really believe in the notion of the “aspiring writer.” However, according to various sources, some 200 million Americans want to write a book at any given time. Considering that most of those folks will never actually put pen to paper, I guess you could consider those people to be aspiring authors. But,…
Does Every Story Need a Moral?
We read books and stories for a variety of reasons, but one thing is true about all of them — they change us. That is, you’re never exactly the same person after you read a story as you were before you read it. But does that mean every tale needs to have a moral? Before…
In Which Genre Should You Write?
Sooner or later every author faces the question: in what genre do you write? It can come from friends and family when they find out you’re a writer, but most often, it seems to come from yourself in the form of, “In what genre should I write?”. It’s largely a personal choice, but before we…
