Proper punctuation mark usage is something that is barely noticed while reading, and this is because the entire reading process was made smooth. Punctuation marks that are incorrectly used or absent divert the reader's attention away from the tale you're trying to tell. You do not want that. The least you can do is to... Continue Reading →
Fiction 101: Narrative Tenses
Is your story happening now or did it occur in the past? There are about twelve tenses in the English language but we will be focusing on the two types of tenses most stories are written in. Present Simple Tense Here, the narrator or viewpoint character tells the story as it is happening. I hand... Continue Reading →
Fiction 101: POV (Part II)
The third person point of view is the most popular point of view in fiction writing. Here the narrator is not part of the story but he knows enough to tell it in great detail. Words like he, his, himself, they or it are used when narrating the story. Examples: ... instead of allowing herself... Continue Reading →
Fiction 101: POV (Part I)
Point of view (which would be referred to as POV for the most of this class) has to do with who is telling the story—the perspective from which the story is being narrated. Why is POV important in fiction? Readers need to know whose head they are in and this, in turn, gives them a... Continue Reading →
Fiction 101: Imagination
Let’s get something cleared up before we start. Try not to look at fiction writing like some sort of tall, hard-as-hell-to-climb mountain. Doing that wouldn’t help you in any way. We will approach these classes brick by brick, and I promise to be as simple as possible in my explanations and examples. I strongly believe... Continue Reading →