Here you’ll find some of the craft and writing tips that have been shared over my years of editing and teaching writing.
Setting: a Writing Exercise
https://youtu.be/FatoKap5PiA Alida is on location in Boulder, Colorado with a writing exercise to help you work on setting and develop your narrative voice. Please share your experience of the exercise, or even some of your freewriting, in the comments below. ...
The One Question
https://youtu.be/85NpjnUdzao This week, I tell you the one question you should ask of every scene you write.
Emotional Tension
https://youtu.be/NGkNVHBHCaY Alida has a special announcement… Coming in December: the Story Works Fiction school! Online courses to help you become a better writer. Word Essential Writing Tips return with a discussion of emotional tension, including an...
Flash Tip: Hyper Reality
This week, we talk about the problem with getting too real in your fiction, and some of the tools you have to avoid hyper reality and to keep your story moving forward!
Likable Characters
Alida goes on a field trip this week and talks about the concept of writing likable characters. Do you need to write likable characters? Is that really the goal of character development?
Should You Give that Dirty No Good Character a POV?
https://youtu.be/NhIxZ4m20gY This week, in honor of launching my new course, Scary Monsters & Super Creeps, I discuss whether or not you should give your monster or monstrous human character a POV. I discuss a pertinent example from the classic...
Showing Your POV Character
In this week's 60 Second Writing Tip, I discuss showing your POV character to your reader and how to smoothly switch between the character's POV lens and the narrative lens. Monica, this one is for you! Coming soon: The Story Works...
Flash Tip: Info Dumps
https://youtu.be/DATGBrES_c4 This week Alida talks about the Dread Info Dump. Alida will be taking a few weeks away from the video writing tips to focus on getting the Story Works Guide to Writing Point of View into your hands. In the meantime, listen to the...
Character Motivation
This week, I talk about how deep you need to go to find your character’s motivation and why it matters to your reader.
Writing Short Stories
In this week’s Word Essential 60 Second Writing Tip, Alida discusses short stories and how to get started writing them. Story Works Round Table Short Story Series: Episode 1 Episode 2 Episode 3
I'm Alida
I help people express their gifts to the world.
I do not believe in formulas. I believe that the stories we are compelled to tell the world make demands on us, and it is our privilege to meet those demands in order to reach the most people in the most authentic and compelling way possible.
