Posts by Francine DeGrood Taylor
I'm a conflict and character writer. For me, the two naturally go together. If I wanted to start with the conflict, I would start by asking what terrible threat is hanging over Sir Nathaniel? It...
The best advice I ever heard on how to write characters falling in love, is to make each the characters two people who fit each other's deepest needs. So, I'm assuming that you already know who yo...
Short answer: maybe nothing. Just because you "hate" two different characters doesn't mean you hate them for the same reason. Empathizing with a character, or considering them nonredeemable, is a...
It's okay to have words and alien creatures that your readers don't know about, but if your description cannot teach readers something new or inspire them to picture something, it is empty verbiage...
Like you, I am a writer who loves character conflict. There's nothing I love more than creating two characters who each have virtues and flaws, and put them at odds with each other. I want my rea...
If you are talking about chapters which have some significant plot development but the focus of the chapter is on the characters' interaction, that's perfectly okay. However, if the the advancemen...
As @Galastel mentioned, you don't legally need to change the name, so if all that you are worried about is the legal aspect you're in the clear. However, I must admit that when I saw your title, t...
Do as much research into the place you want your fictional village to be as you can. Find out the topography, the climate, the surrounding large towns. Know something about the people of that tim...
Here are a few of the techniques that I've seen employed successfully. Make sure that every chapter of your story has moved your readers closer to the ending. Sometimes in big ways, sometimes sma...