@DiAnnMills Some of our character’s traits are easy to discover. Physical description, food preference, a career choice, favorite color or food, wants, goals, and other basic attributes that can be revealed in a non-threatening manner.  Life experiences that had painful physical, mental, or emotional outcomes are often hidden beneath a…

@ADGansky 4. Every sentence must do one of two things—reveal character or advance the action. –Kurt Vonnegut I love the simplicity Vonnegut uses when asserting his rules, but sometimes I wonder if we need a little extra, especially for beginning writers. At first, this rule just makes perfect sense, but if…

@LindsBrac Before you ask, I totally intended the pun. Character development can be one of the most interesting—and challenging—parts about writing fiction. As writers, we get to experience the world in so many different ways, through so many varying personalities. Then we give those experiences to our readers—and show them…

@DiAnnMills We’ve all heard the depressing reports. Fiction sales are down. Too many books out there for readers to choose from. Movies and TV are vying for attention. But dear fiction writer, there is no reason to fear when you can incorporate the following action steps into your marketing and…

@ADGansky In continuing my exploration of Kurt Vonnegut’s eight rules for writing fiction, this time we’ll dive into his third rule. Like the others, it’s both simple and profound. In case you missed the rest of the series here are the links: As Writers We Must Use Our Pages Wisely…

@ADGansky Last month, I began looking at Kurt Vonnegut’s 8 rules for writing fiction. I’ll continue my dissection of his rules this month and look at the second rule. This one’s pretty juicy, guys. You ready? Here it is: Give the reader at least one character he or she can…