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WHAT DOES GOOD FICTION
WRITING LOOK LIKE?
1. Good Attention Grabbing Action -- Makes the reader want to keep going.
2. Avoids Passive Voice--Keeps "have been," and "was" out of their story as much as possible.
3. Avoids Weak Verbs --Words that need an adverb to work. "He ran quickly out of the room." vs. "He sprinted
out of the room."
4. Watches POV (Point of View)--Having two minds thinking in the same setting. Donna couldn't believe how he
looked. Bob looked at her amazed at her beauty. A POV problem asks, How can Donna know how Bob thinks about
her? Is she clairvoyant?
5. Watches Repetition- The same words used near one another. Maybe I could have said "Beware of Repetition"
to mix it up.
6. Clear Character Dialogue--Each character has a distinct voice. This helps the reader picture who's talking.
7. Avoids Overuse of Adjectives--Too many adjectives to describe the nouns can slow writing down. "The old,
beat up car drove really fast down the bumpy, dirt road and hit a deep pothole." vs. "The rusty pinto sped down
the dirt road and hit a pothole." Most of the adjectives are implied by the power of the noun or verb.
8. Avoids Colloquialisms or Aphorisms--Common phrases uttered through out our lives that are trite and over
used. Trust me, there are "more ways to skin a cat" than to use this tired phrase.
9. Develops a Unique and Solid Plot--The Bible says, "Nothing new under the sun," but that doesn't imply that
creative expression can't take us in new directions. A story needs to have strong rising action (the hero's
problem/story), a clear climax (the crux that will make or break your hero), a believable resolution (the outcome
because of the climax) and a good ending (now what?). No, soggy middles!
10. Doesn't Preach -- Or another way to say it, "The writer doesn't oversell their message." As Christian novelist,
people often have a point to make, but people don't read fiction to get preached at--they read to be entertained. So, a
message should be subtle or the climax dynamic enough that the reader can't help but hear it.
WRITING LOOK LIKE?
1. Good Attention Grabbing Action -- Makes the reader want to keep going.
2. Avoids Passive Voice--Keeps "have been," and "was" out of their story as much as possible.
3. Avoids Weak Verbs --Words that need an adverb to work. "He ran quickly out of the room." vs. "He sprinted
out of the room."
4. Watches POV (Point of View)--Having two minds thinking in the same setting. Donna couldn't believe how he
looked. Bob looked at her amazed at her beauty. A POV problem asks, How can Donna know how Bob thinks about
her? Is she clairvoyant?
5. Watches Repetition- The same words used near one another. Maybe I could have said "Beware of Repetition"
to mix it up.
6. Clear Character Dialogue--Each character has a distinct voice. This helps the reader picture who's talking.
7. Avoids Overuse of Adjectives--Too many adjectives to describe the nouns can slow writing down. "The old,
beat up car drove really fast down the bumpy, dirt road and hit a deep pothole." vs. "The rusty pinto sped down
the dirt road and hit a pothole." Most of the adjectives are implied by the power of the noun or verb.
8. Avoids Colloquialisms or Aphorisms--Common phrases uttered through out our lives that are trite and over
used. Trust me, there are "more ways to skin a cat" than to use this tired phrase.
9. Develops a Unique and Solid Plot--The Bible says, "Nothing new under the sun," but that doesn't imply that
creative expression can't take us in new directions. A story needs to have strong rising action (the hero's
problem/story), a clear climax (the crux that will make or break your hero), a believable resolution (the outcome
because of the climax) and a good ending (now what?). No, soggy middles!
10. Doesn't Preach -- Or another way to say it, "The writer doesn't oversell their message." As Christian novelist,
people often have a point to make, but people don't read fiction to get preached at--they read to be entertained. So, a
message should be subtle or the climax dynamic enough that the reader can't help but hear it.
HELPFUL LINKS
WRITER'S LINKS
WRITERS
| "These aren't books, lumps of lifeless paper... But minds alive on the shelves" Gilbert Highet. |
| HELP FOR THE NEWLY PUBLISHED AUTHOR |
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
Answer these four questions:
1. DO YOU HAVE AN INCREDIBLE PASSION FOR WRITING?
"You know you're called when you aren't happy doing anything else."
2. ARE YOU WILLING TO DO WHAT IT TAKES?
You have to be willing to train, and hone your craft. Join a critique group, attend writer's conferences, read books, take
courses, etc.
3. ARE YOU WILLING TO FIGHT FOR IT?
If you want to be published bad enough, you'll need to fight for it. That means you don't interpret one NO as a reason to give up.
You keep fine tuning your piece ... then send, send, send it out some more.
4. DO YOU HAVE THE PATIENCE?
So, you did it. You finally sent your manuscript. Now, you have to be patient. The writing world is SLOW! No news might be
good news. Don't bug them. The waiting time for a response can be three months to a year.
1. DO YOU HAVE AN INCREDIBLE PASSION FOR WRITING?
"You know you're called when you aren't happy doing anything else."
2. ARE YOU WILLING TO DO WHAT IT TAKES?
You have to be willing to train, and hone your craft. Join a critique group, attend writer's conferences, read books, take
courses, etc.
3. ARE YOU WILLING TO FIGHT FOR IT?
If you want to be published bad enough, you'll need to fight for it. That means you don't interpret one NO as a reason to give up.
You keep fine tuning your piece ... then send, send, send it out some more.
4. DO YOU HAVE THE PATIENCE?
So, you did it. You finally sent your manuscript. Now, you have to be patient. The writing world is SLOW! No news might be
good news. Don't bug them. The waiting time for a response can be three months to a year.
| DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A PUBLISHED AUTHOR? |
| September 24 & 25, 2010 Maranatha Chapel – Rancho Bernardo 10752 Coastwood Road San Diego, CA Our fall writers conference is for all writers -- beginners to professionals, and those who are wondering if this is what they are called to do. Our workshops offer instruction in how to get started, self-publishing, fiction, non fiction, marketing, book proposals, screen writing, script writing, journalism, as well as spiritual inspiration —and more. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO. |