Firsts in Fiction Gross Anatomy of a Novel: Voice Continuing our look at Gross Anatomy of a Novel, this week we discuss Voice. First, let’s define “Voice.” Voice is one of the trickiest aspects of writing fiction. One thing the best writers have in common is a unique way of writing. When you pick up a Stephen…
Firsts in Fiction Gross Anatomy of a Novel: Setting and Detail Continuing our look at Gross Anatomy of a Novel, we turn our attention to an oft-overlooked aspect of writing: setting and detail. First, let’s define “setting.” Setting refers to the time and place in which a story takes place. It cannot be established without…
*ADDENDUM* The good people at EditionGuard.com put together a pretty fancy infographic, and were kind enough to ask me to include a link to it in this particular post. I’ve checked it out, and it’s got some good information that really supplements what we’re talking about in this cast. If you get a chance, check…
This week Steve and I delve into the Mysterious Case of Show vs. Tell. Most writers can tell you what the difference is between the two, but there’s a fine art to balancing the level of detail in your book. When should you show? When should you tell? Here’s our take on the case. First…
Due to yet another scheduling conflict, First in Fiction is taking a week off, but we’ll be back next week (and back on our normal every-other-Tuesday schedule). Until then, here’s an old post from a few years ago. Enjoy! This week we take a look at music and its role in writing. Also, as always,…