Today’s post reflects how lazy (and totally out of ideas) I am, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be rewarded for stopping by.
If you’re a fiction writer, that is.
Because I’m passing along an article by Janis Hubschman called “Steal This List.”
In it, Janis shares ten writing craft techniques that have saved her hours (if not years) of frustration.
Her first writing craft technique (and my favorite) says that when a story stalls, you should ask yourself what the character is thinking now, and if the character isn’t thinking anything, why not? “Characters need to learn something about themselves,” Janis says, “about their values and assumptions.”
In one of my creative writing classes through UC Davis Extension, my instructor suggested that I do this very thing – go through my scenes and ask myself: What is my character thinking?
People are always thinking, often about subjects unrelated to the current action or conversation, and what they’re thinking reveals a lot about them.
Yes, I know, thoughts and interior monologue can be overdone in fiction. But writers can’t be stingy with this information either. It’s a writer’s business to share a character’s thoughts and feelings with the reader. It’s an important part of characterization.
So go ahead, print out Janis Hubschman’s list of writing craft techniques. It could save you hours (if not years) of frustration.
And that makes it a steal.
Enjoy.
