How to use Dialogue Tags

We’ve all been there. Do you include the punctuation inside the quotes or outside? Where does the question mark go? Do I really need to use a dialogue tag? So many suggestions and rules from very talented people. Some I’ve followed, but some I’ve ignored. The following are my rules and they work in every situation. [...]

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Journeys in Stories

I think journeys are common in stories because they echo our own travels through life. As we navigate life, we make decisions and choose between alternatives. Sometimes we know the consequences of a choice, sometimes we don’t, and sometimes we know where a choice will lead but don’t care. Notice how even the language used [...]

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How To Write Deceptively Without Being Deceptive (Expanded and Updated)

It’s an age-old problem: How to share information in a novel without readers picking up on your clues until the reveal at the end. Here are some strategies I’ve picked up on: Hide clues in plain sight. Duh. Most people are not that observant and rarely see what is right in front of their face. [...]

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2011 in Review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog. Here’s an excerpt: The concert hall at the Syndey Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 34,000 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 13 sold-out performances for that many [...]

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