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How to Write Better
How to Write Better
How to Write Better
Ebook78 pages36 minutes

How to Write Better

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About this ebook

The advice in this book was gleaned from four years of Writer's Digest articles, from 1998 to 2001. At that time I was incarcerated and, unable to keep the magazines with me, I took to condensing the advice onto notepaper.

LanguageEnglish
PublisherDwayne Bearup
Release dateJan 31, 2012
ISBN9781466084735
How to Write Better
Author

Dwayne Bearup

If you love books, you should certainly check out my Goodreads page - the link is on this page. It's free, and you can post lists of all the different books you have read, including mine... {*~*}.

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    Book preview

    How to Write Better - Dwayne Bearup

    HOW TO WRITE BETTER

    Published by Dwayne Albert Bearup at Smashwords

    Copyright 2012 Dwayne Albert Bearup

    SMASHWORDS EDITION LICENSE NOTES

    This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

    TABLE OF CONTENTS:

    FINDING THE STORY:

    BURN AND BUILD

    FINDING YOUR EMOTIONAL TRUTH

    WRITING THE STORY:

    CHARACTERS:

    CRAFTING CHARACTERS

    ROMANCING YOUR CHARACTERS

    ONCE UPON A CHARACTER

    KEEPING IN TOUCH WITH YOUR CHARACTERS

    DESCRIBING CHARACTERS

    DIALOG:

    DYNAMIC DIALOG

    CAN WE TALK?

    STEP UP TO STRONGER DIALOG

    HARK! I SEE A CONVERSATION

    INTERIOR MONOLOG

    FICTIONAL DIALOG

    EXPOSITION/DESCRIPTION:

    INFORMATION SLEIGHT OF HAND

    WRITING ALL THE SENSES

    SHOW VERSUS TELL

    TIPS ON NARRATION

    WEAVING DESCRIPTION INTO THE NARRATIVE

    THE FLASHBACK:

    FLASHBACKS

    FRAME STORIES

    VERB TENSES IN FLASHBACKS

    WEAVING PAST INTO PRESENT

    MISCELLANEOUS:

    A VARIETY OF VOICES

    AVOID COMMON GRAMMAR PITFALLS

    BUILD A SOLID NOVEL FOUNDATION

    CONQUERING THE THREE ACT STRUCTURE

    CROSS-GENDER WRITING

    EMOTIONAL SYMBOLISM

    FINDING THE POINT

    KEEPING IT REAL

    POETIC TECHINQUES TO STRENGTHEN PROSE

    PONDER THE PLAIN POSITIVES (On keeping it simple)

    PROPS IN FICTION

    SEND THEM HOME HAPPY

    TIME TRAPS TO AVOID

    USING WRITER'S BLOCK

    POINT OF VIEW:

    CHOOSING A POINT OF VIEW

    OMNISCIENT P.O.V.

    CONFESSIONS OF A KNOW-IT-ALL

    ALTERNATING POINT OF VIEW

    STORY ELEMENTS:

    CRAFTING SCENES

    THE HOOK

    SENSE OF PLACE

    HOW TO DRAMATIZE A SCENE

    DETAILS

    CREATING CONFLICT

    COMPELLING STORY ELEMENTS

    STORY ELEMENT PROPORTIONS

    STOP! LOOK! THINK AGAIN!

    FICTIONAL TONE

    ONE, TWO, THREE... PUSH!

    SUSPENSE

    WORD POSITION

    MAKE YOUR PLOT SING

    ENDINGS

    SURPRISES:

    WHAT A STORY!

    SURPRISES

    REWRITING THE STORY:

    REVISION

    THE FOUR STEPS OF MANUSCRIPT C.P.R.

    WEILDING THE SCALPEL

    TEN STEPS TO PLANNING YOUR SECOND DRAFT

    * * * * *

    FINDING THE STORY

    BURN AND BUILD

    To write fiction from the heart, you’ve got to come up with an explosion of ideas, then sort through the rubble.

    Eight methods:

    01) Make a list of nouns describing items from your personal past, items which resonate with emotion. Let your mind sort through the mental pictures of your past and quickly write one- or two- word reminders. Then use items from the list to brainstorm possibilities, for characterization or even stories;

    02) Find the outrage - list your pet peeves, then pick one and ask yourself what sorts of characters would care about it. Put a character on either side of the issue and let them argue about it;

    03) See it - daydream until you sense a sketchy sort of plot, then develop it on paper into a story;

    04) Hear it - listen to music that moves you and close your eyes and

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