Anne R. Allen's Blog... with Ruth Harris
Writing about writing. Mostly.
Remember Fabio’s male character was only a fantasy by Harry Bingham For a female author, the construction of a genuine, well-rounded male character offers a unique chance to cross gender barriers and explore a broad range of experiences. However, how to effectively dive into the male psyche? How do societal norms mold the actions and […]
By Anne R. Allen Point of view is one of the toughest things for a new writer to master when learning to write fiction. You hear terms like “omniscient, third person limited, second person, deep point of view, camera’s eye” etc. But it’s hard to figure out which one works for your story. And […]
Anne and Ruth wish all our readers–from pre-published to professional authors– Happy Holidays and a Rewarding New Year! by Ruth Harris I’ve known and worked with a lot of writers over the years (decades). Some work first thing in the AM, others in the PM, some don’t get started until near midnight. Some write sober, […]
by Anne R. Allen Here we are reaching the end of another year. Some of us have reached our writing goals, and some even “won” NaNoWriMo. But a lot of us haven’t. You may have had trouble getting to that last chapter of the novel, even though you wrote the requisite 50K words. Writing a […]
by Ruth Harris I wrote this post on writing a great first sentence as a companion-piece to Anne’s recent post on writing a great first chapter. With apologies to Jane Austen, it is a truth universally acknowledged, at least by writers and certainly by agents and editors, that no matter what genre, your first […]
Stronger writing comes from choosing power words. by Kathy Steinemann Wrong word or strong word? Muscle up, wordsters. Weak writing alienates readers. They won’t settle for wussy, so why should you? One path to stronger writing is to pump up the power of single words. This post provides examples that will help you muscle-ize your […]
First sentences from classic and contemporary literature analyzed. by Ruth Harris No matter what genre you write, your first sentence is a seduction. It can be in the form of an invitation. A declaration. A tease. A promise. A jolt. A shock. You must be shameless and your first sentence must be irresistible. It must […]
Saying goodbye to that WIP can be bittersweet.. by Anne R. Allen I’ve recently had discussions with several writers who have been pondering saying goodbye to that WIP they’ve been laboring at for years. All of them wanted to move on for different reasons. All of their reasons were valid. Unfortunately, the writers felt it […]
A visit from your muse: the gift you give yourself. by Ruth Harris “What The Subconscious is to every other man, in its creative aspect becomes, for writers, The Muse.” ~ Ray Bradbury What Ray Bradbury called the muse, Stephen King called the “guys in the basement.” Others call it the sixth sense, the Spidey […]
Peggy Cass as “Agnes Gooch,” a memorable character name by Anne R. Allen “Agnes Gooch,” “Mr. McCawber,” “Albus Dumbledore”: memorable names of memorable characters. How can writers come up with character names that readers will never forget? In his painfully funny 2006 book, Famous Writing School, a Novel, Stephen Carter’s writing teacher-protagonist advises his students to […]
Beware plot and pot holes in your fiction! by Ruth Harris We all come face to face with them, those pesky glitches, oopsies, OMGs and WTFs that ruin a story, turn a reader off, guarantee a slew of one-star reviews—and kill sales. Beta readers will often point them out. Editors are professional fixers, always on […]
A creative writing teacher has to deal with a lot. By Melodie Campbell It all started in 1992. I’d won a couple of crime fiction awards, and the local college came calling. Did I want to come on faculty and teach in the writing program? Hell, yes! (Pass the scotch.) Over the years, I continued […]
Secrets are the engine that keep a story moving forward. by Ruth Harris Shhh! Secrets. Everyone has them. Every book must have at least one because secrets are the jet-powered engine that propels fiction forward. Ever notice how many blurbs in the daily BookBub email include the word secret? Secrets provide motivation, plot, character, even a setting (a […]
