by Nanci | Apr 15, 2024 | Craft, Podcast
Our stories can become so overrun with ideas, they run away from us. Each idea begets another and another until you’re lost in the vortex. There are stories within stories. Endless possibilities. So many directions the story can go. And then writing your story,...
by Nanci | Apr 8, 2024 | Craft, Podcast
Writers have different approaches to story. Some write more about action. Others are more fascinated with a character’s inner life. The trick is to link your character’s interior story to the plot. Both are approaches are valid. But when the inner and...
by Nanci | Mar 18, 2024 | Craft, Podcast
Your first chapter is the first impression your reader has of your novel. So you want to make it count. Bore them with too much exposition, long forays into backstory, and superfluous characters and details, and your reader will grow bored, overwhelmed, and will stop...
by Nanci | Mar 11, 2024 | Craft, Podcast
How do you move readers with your characters’ emotions? Are you showing enough emotions, or too much? In this episode, I’m sharing 3 techniques to master emotions in your story. So you can move readers in a way that stays with them long after they finish...
by Nanci | Mar 4, 2024 | Craft, Podcast
Show, don’t tell. How often have you heard this same tired advice? You understand the concept. But when it comes to implementing, it’s not as easy as it sounds. So, what’s the difference between showing and telling? Should show don’t tell be...
by Nanci | Feb 26, 2024 | Character, Craft, Plot, Podcast
You want your dialogue to sound natural, like real people talking. But despite your effort, the dialogue still sounds stilted, awkward, and dull. Writing dialogue requires practice. And there are some ways to think about dialogue to help you write it better. In...
