Here you’ll find some of the craft and writing tips that have been shared over my years of editing and teaching writing.
Read moreIf you’re planning to write a multiple POV story, stop. Ask yourself: does this story require multiple POVs? If so, why?
Writing Multiple Points of View
Rebekah would like to know about writing multiple points of view, so I’m going to tackle that topic in this week’s blog post.
Which is to say, I’ll touch on point of view, briefly, in part, because point of view, POV, is a massive topic. It’s also one of the most difficult things to do well, because it requires control. Your POV should never be accidental. You need to select the right POV for the story you are telling.
Building Protagonists, part 2
Read Part 1 of this post, "Develop Your Protagonist's Flaws," here. I’m going to continue discussing your protagonist, because one of my readers, Julia, had good follow-up questions. Whether you're considering your protagonist's strengths or weaknesses, the process is...
Develop Your Protagonist’s Flaws
I was recently asked, "How do you choose and create a protagonist’s flaws?” Simple. The same way you choose and create your own flaws. What? You didn’t choose your flaws? You’d rather not have them? Before you declare me a smartass, that’s a clue to the how part of...
Travels & Travails in Revision Land
An Unlikely Story, or Write What You Don't Know I enjoy mysteries. I read Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie as a kid. PBS’s Mystery series was and is a favorite of mine. And yet, I fell into writing the Skoghall Series accidentally. I wanted to write a ghost...
Are Cliffhangers Evil?
I recently watched the PBS Masterpiece mini-series, Endeavour. You might be familiar with Inspector Morse from the Colin Dexter books or the Mystery series. Endeavour portrays Inspector Morse as a young Detective Constable in the 1960s. It’s free on Amazon Prime,...
Writing & Community
Writers are solitary creatures...or are they? It’s spring and conferences are in the air. But if attending a conference isn’t in the books for you this year, there are other ways to find a writing community. Earlier this month I attended the AWP conference, that’s the...
How True is True in Fiction?
I’ve been down the rabbit hole for the last couple of weeks. It’s a necessary side venture to writing any novel, and some more so than others. I’m working on book 2 of The Skoghall Mystery Series, Dark Corners in Skoghall, and I hit a wall. Not just any wall—certainly...
Action Scenes: Clarity vs. Pacing
There is a special balancing act to be accomplished when writing action scenes. Think of a teeter-totter and put Clarity on one seat and Pacing on the other. Generally speaking, the faster the action occurs, the more you have to slow it down to make it work on the...
Using Sensory Detail in Your Writing: The Trouble with the Green Screen
As humans, we rely heavily on our eyesight—unless you’re blind, of course—to record, comprehend, and navigate our world. As writers, our job is to convey that world to our readers. To do this, we need to bring to life on the page that which is all around us in its...
The 3-Act Structure
Do you really need a 3-act structure to tell a story? Why? What is each act about, anyway? Those are the questions I address in this 10-minute video tutorial. Enjoy! If you have questions or comments, please post them below. http://youtu.be/pcFJY1WYeE8
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.
