Contrast Makes Your Writing More Interesting

"The wages of sin are death. The wages of blackjack are around five hundred dollars an hour."

Contrast makes your writing more interesting.

Contrast can be a simple verbiage set-up, as this is, or a contrast in characters or situation ("The Prince and the Pauper, etc.) Play up the contrast in your WIP.

Thanks for reading!

Here’s two interesting 99c short stories for you to read: (More fiction coming soon.)

The Law of Large Numbers (Kindle Store on Amazon)

The Law of Large Numbers (All Formats)

Nag Is Hindi for Cobra (Kindle Store on Amazon)

Nag Is Hindi for Cobra (All Formats)

Write More, Write Faster

How much do you write every day? Do you have an allotted or limited time? 


Try Focus Booster for a gentle reminder that your time is ticking away. 


You download the app, and it puts a tiny little bar on the top of your screen that slowly ticks down the minutes. 


(Not a paid ad. I use it. It's great.) 


If you need a more brutal prod, tune in tomorrow for a truly 
nefarious writing aid.

Thanks for reading!

Here’s two interesting 99c short stories for you to read: (More fiction coming soon.)

The Law of Large Numbers (Kindle Store on Amazon)

The Law of Large Numbers (All Formats)

Nag Is Hindi for Cobra (Kindle Store on Amazon)

Nag Is Hindi for Cobra (All Formats)

Naming your Main Character: Would Rose McGowan or Charlie Rose Smell As Sweet?

Through the looking glass, Lewis Carroll's Alice stumbles upon an enormous egg-shaped figure celebrating his un-birthday. She tries to introduce herself:

"It's a stupid name enough!" Humpty Dumpty interrupted impatiently. "What does it mean?"

"Must a name mean something?" Alice asked doubtfully.

"Of course it must," Humpty Dumpty said with a short laugh: "My name means the shape I am - and a good handsome shape it is, too. With a name like yours, you might be any shape, almost."

Dare you use something symbolic as a name for your character? 


Symbolic names occur so often in real life.


Dirty twitter pics by Rep. Weiner. 


Financial rape by Ken Lay. 


Bernie Made-off with your money. 


Martha Stewart = steward, someone who runs a household.


Shakespeare used Proteus for a changeable character (2 Gents of V), Malvolio as an ethically challenged Puritan (12th Night, and then J.K. Rowling used "Marvolo" for Tom Riddle/Voldemort's middle name), the narrator Rumor (2 Henry 4), and Falstaff as his base alter ego (Fall-staff = Shake-spear, both are moving sticks.)


Dare you!

Thanks for reading!

Here’s two interesting 99c short stories for you to read: (More fiction coming soon.)

The Law of Large Numbers (Kindle Store on Amazon)

The Law of Large Numbers (All Formats)

Nag Is Hindi for Cobra (Kindle Store on Amazon)

Nag Is Hindi for Cobra (All Formats)

Grab your reader with emotion in the first scene

Speaking of the beginning: begin your book with an emotional punch and big contrasts. 


*Basic Instinct* began with Sharon Stone having sex a guy and then stabbing him through the heart. 


Witness began with bucolic Amish scenes and then little Samuel witnessing a brutal murder. 


Emo is all!

Thanks for reading!

Here’s two interesting 99c short stories for you to read: (More fiction coming soon.)

The Law of Large Numbers (Kindle Store on Amazon)

The Law of Large Numbers (All Formats)

Nag Is Hindi for Cobra (Kindle Store on Amazon)

Nag Is Hindi for Cobra (All Formats)

You Must Know the End of Your Character's Story, but not the End of the Plot

Do you know how your WIP ends? 

While I'm a "pantser" (writing "by the seat of my,") rather than a plotter, I sure do. The end must be contained in the beginning to create a cohesive experience for your reader.

To that end: look at your beginning. What happens in your beginning that is so important for your character to change about themselves? Do they have doubt (in love? in humanity?) that must turn to faith? Do they have fear that must turn to trust? 

That's your character's story arc.

As far as the plot is concerned, meh. Whatever. That's where you write by the seat of your pants.

Sleeping Your Way Through the Plot: Your Novel and the Main Character

Where does your character sleep while the plot is going on? 


If your plot lasts more than 24 hours, they're going to get groggy, and the effects of sleep deprivation will sneak up on them. 


Can they go home? 


Do they find a hotel? What level of hotel? How do they pay for it? How does this impact their budget, checking account, and credit card limit? Most hotels require an ID and a major credit card.


 Do they have those?

Thanks for reading!

Here’s two interesting 99c short stories for you to read: (More fiction coming soon.)

The Law of Large Numbers (Kindle Store on Amazon)

The Law of Large Numbers (All Formats)

Nag Is Hindi for Cobra (Kindle Store on Amazon)

Nag Is Hindi for Cobra (All Formats)  

Your Main Character and Airplanes

Does your character like flying on an airplane? Do they have to fly for your story? How does this affect them? Do they drive or take a train to avoid it, and how does that affect the story?