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.
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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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