Category: Technicalities

  • C. S. Lewis’ Advice to Young Writers #8

    In 1959, at the suggestion of her teacher, an American schoolgirl wrote C. S. Lewis a letter requesting advice on writing. Lewis replied, “It is…

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  • The Long and the Short of It

    Most readers believe writing a collection of short stories is easier than writing a novel. They surmise fewer words represent reduced complexity. With this initial…

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  • From Telling to Showing

    Writers of fiction are consistently told, and rightfully so, to “show, don’t tell.” In other words, a reader wants to see the story unspool, not…

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  • Somewhere Below the Top

    Several weeks ago I was speaking with a friend who is in the throes of completing a debut novel. A beta reader, who is an…

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  • World-building vs. Setting

    A recent writers workshop conversation surfaced the difference between world-building and setting. To be honest, I’d not thought much about it, but the distinction is…

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