In our ongoing lessons on story development, I give you part 6 of “Wanted, A Superhero to Save the World.” This is a shorter-than-usual excerpt, because it completes a chapter, and I want to save the beginning of the following chapter… Read More ›
Writing a Novel
How to Develop a Good Character – Guest Post by Rebecca LuElla Miller
Fundamental to any good novel is a good character, but what makes a character “good”? When I first started writing, I had a story in mind, and my characters were almost incidentals. Since then, I’ve learned how flat such a… Read More ›
Story Development – Wanted, A Superhero to Save the World Part 5
In our ongoing lessons on story development, I give you part 5 of “Wanted, A Superhero to Save the World.” In this excerpt, we come to the protagonist’s crisis. A huge calamity strikes. Eddie’s original quest to help keep the… Read More ›
Critique Group – The Guardians of Dor
Authors, we need not fear critique. A skilled critiquing partner is an author’s good friend. So let’s untangle our hair and get started on this week’s submission. Don’t forget the critiquing guidelines. All you have to do is post a comment about… Read More ›
The Boundaries of “What if?” ; Part 2
Christian readers are often sensitive about stories that relate to the Bible, and rightly so. They react against writing that twists the contents of the Bible in a way that denigrates the messages they revere. When my book Eye of… Read More ›
Story Development – Wanted, A Superhero to Save the World Part 4
In our ongoing lessons on story development, I give you part 4 of “Wanted, A Superhero to Save the World.” In this excerpt, the action settles to a simmering tension. Character qualities rise to the surface, both Eddie’s and Damocles’s,… Read More ›
Story Development – Wanted, A Superhero to Save the World Part 2
In our ongoing lessons on story development, I give you part 2 of “Wanted, A Superhero to Save the World.” As you read, continue noting the elements of a story’s beginning that I provided in this list: Grab the reader’s… Read More ›
Critique Group – Behind the Smile
No frying pans allowed. We will all be nice when we critique this week’s new submission. Don’t forget the critiquing guidelines. All you have to do is post a comment about the submission below. Don’t feel like you need to critique… Read More ›
Story Development – Wanted, Superhero to Save the World Part 1
It’s time for a story development post. This week I am switching to a different story, a superhero/science fiction tale designed for middle graders (ages 8 to 12). My hope is that teens and adults will enjoy it as well…. Read More ›
Critique Group – Poor Girl, Rich Talent
Here we go! A new submission to critique. Don’t forget the critiquing guidelines. All you have to do is post a comment about the submission below. Don’t feel like you need to critique the whole piece. Even a short comment on… Read More ›