3 Ways to Ramp Up Your Fiction Pacing and Tension – by C.S. Lakin

on Live Write Thrive:

Strong pacing and tension are critical in a fictional story, but they’re some of the hardest elements to understand and master. That’s because there isn’t one “right” way to pace a story, nor is there one definable factor that creates tension.

One thing readers will attest to, though: if a story’s pacing drags for too long, they’ll stop reading. And if they don’t feel tension, they’ll likely start falling asleep.

What is pacing? It’s the pulse rate of your story. At times you’ll want a slow, thoughtful pace. Other times a racing one. And those elements that create tension impact the pacing of a story. No tension means a sluggish pace.

Continue reading at:

The Culprits

How to Write the Perfect Author Bio – Written By C.S. Lakin

on Live Write Thrive:

One of the important marketing tools a writer needs is an author bio. This descriptive bit of writing informs readers, in few words, who you are, what you write, and what makes you unique. It’s the marquee announcing your author presence in the world of publishing.

Think about your author bio as your “elevator pitch” that sells you rather than your book.

It may seem odd and uncomfortable penning your own biography, and writing about yourself in third person (which is what you need to do) can makes it feel even weirder.

To compound matters, most of us don’t like to toot our horn and share glowing praise about ourselves. We know how off-putting it is to hear someone brag about themselves and their accomplishments. Yet … we authors need to do just that—with at least modicum of modesty or humility, along with professionalism.

All of this in just a few lines.

Continue reading HERE

How to Effectively Bring Sound into Your Fiction – Written By C.S. Lakin

on Live Write Thrive:

Today’s post is a reprint from some years back, but it’s one that deserves revisiting!

Sound may not be something writers pay much attention to when they work on their novels. Of course, there usually is a significant amount of dialog, and there may occasionally be found a noise shown in the scene, such as a branch cracking underfoot, the whoosh of an arrow zipping by, or the hiss of a snake. But other than the obvious, basic sounds, novelists don’t usually think much about this sensory element.

By looking at some of the ways filmmakers deal with sound, we can see many possibilites of how writers might enrich their books with this often-ignored component.

In the book Cinematic Storytelling by Jennifer Van Sijll, we read this about sound: “Sound effects are as much the purview of the writer as are visual symbols . . . Sound effects can also suggest an extended aural metaphor. They can add layers to a film that are hard to achieve in other ways. Sound effects can be obvious or quite subtle. They can intentionally draw attention to themselves or manipulate with stealth. They can expose, disguise, suggest, establish, or reveal.”

Sound is a terrific tool for a writer’s toolbox, so let’s expore!

Continue reading HERE

The Crucial First Page of Your Novel – Written By C.S. Lakin

Thanks for this very educational and interesting blog post, C. S. Lakin. The post was published on ‘Live Write Thrive’. Many of us appreciate your efforts.

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Most authors know that the first pages of a novel are the most crucial and carry the weightiest burden in their entire book. The opening scene must convey so many things that often the author will have to rewrite it numerous times to get it right.

But the first page is especially crucial to get right.

Continue reading HERE

 

Why Your Writing Matters—Even if You’re Not Making Any Money from It – By Ali Luke

Today I found an excellent encouraging and important guest post on C. S. Lakin’s ‘Live Write Thrive’ blog. The post is written by Ali Luke and she tells us why our writing matters. Thank you, Ali.

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How important is your writing to you?

Is that importance reflected in how much time you spend on it?

Pretty much every writer starts out writing without being paid—often without any prospect of payment. This is particularly true for fiction writers, who might well hone their craft for years, even decades, before successfully selling their work.

In fact, for many writers it’s not just a case of “not making any money”—it’s a case of spending money. Books, courses, conferences, pens, notebooks, software—it all adds up.

Perhaps you worry that you’re wasting your time (and your money). That, ultimately, your writing doesn’t really matter. That you should be doing something else instead, whether that’s the housework or spending more time with your family.

I firmly believe that your writing does matter, though—regardless of whether you’re making any money from it.

Here’s why.

Writing Is an Important Creative Outlet

Do you feel better, generally, when you’re writing? Do you feel you’re accomplishing something? Do you enjoy spending time with imaginary people? Do you love coming up with invented worlds?

Read the full blog post here:

https://www.livewritethrive.com/2019/01/14/why-your-writing-matters-even-if-youre-not-making-any-money-from-it/

Readers Crave Stories with a Twist: Tips for Writing Great Plot Twists – Written By Kristen Lamb

 

When it comes to stories, everyone LOVES a good twist. Whether this is in a movie, short story, or a novel audiences LOVE to be fooled. Twists and misdirection can not only cultivate passionate fans, but they’re crucial elements that keep any story from the dreaded label…”formulaic.”

Who wants to spend precious time with a movie, am HBO series, or a book that anyone with one eye and half sense could predict the ending?

I believe the greatest compliment any story can earn is the surprising yet inevitable ending. When we craft a story, ideally the reader will finish and say two things.

I never saw that coming and How did I NOT see that coming?

Word wizardry is not easy, so a colleague of mine has been generous enough to write a guest post for today. C.S.Lakin is a fantastic speaker and teacher. She’s here to teach us to TWIST, BABY, TWIST!

Take it away, Susanne!

To read C.S. Lakin’s entire post, please go to Kristen Lamb’s blog:

https://authorkristenlamb.com/2018/07/tips-great-plot-twist/