Frankisms

“Because this subject/verb relationship is so important, most of the work commas do is to keep other parts of the sentence out of its way. — Robert Pinkert”

writing

“Because we know what the truth is, and what the future will be, we forget that our characters don’t. — Lisa Cron”

writing

“Become so involved in the character’s backstory and motivation that you can close your eyes and imagine how you’d feel or react in their shoes. — Cheryl St.John”

writing

“Begin treating your story people like real people, not chess pieces. — Jeff Gerke”

writing

“Behavior will seem irrational unless we know the motivation. — Cheryl St.John”

writing

“Being specific will increase the emotional intensity of your story. — Cheryl St.John”

writing

“Believable, memorable characters are complicated combinations of pride and vulnerabilities, appealing mixes of dashing and determined exteriors with hurts, hopes, and dreams—like yours. — Cheryl St.John”

writing

“Big stakes raise the temperature of everything, and we can’t pull our eyes away from people who are experiencing ever higher levels of emotional heat. — Eric Edson”

writing

“Blessed is the man who, having nothing to say, abstains from giving in words evidence of the fact. — George Eliot (1818–1880), Impressions of Theophrastus Such [1879]”

writing

“Books in boxes minister to no one. — Kirby Anderson, host of “Point of View” radio talk show”

writing

“Both metaphor and simile are points of color, illuminations that give the rest of the story special life by their reflections. They are not objectives by themselves, to be flaunted for their own sake. — Paul Darcy Boles”

writing

“Break each writing project into a batch of very small tasks and set reasonable deadlines. — Susan K. Perry”

writing

“Brevity is a rare and thrilling quality in writing, and marks the distinguished mind. — Robert Pinkert”

writing

“By defining your protagonist’s internal and external goals, and then pitting them against each other, you can often ignite the kind of external tension and internal conflict capable of driving an entire narrative. — Lisa Cron”

writing

“By discovering information about a character from every angle, you can create a picture of the character’s life—physically and mentally—before the first sentence. Believable character motivation is driven by emotion. — DiAnn Mills”

writing

“By ratcheting up the power and invincibility of the bad guy, the hero will have to do more that we can admire. — Blake Snyder”

writing

“Carry a notepad or recorder wherever you go. — Alan Weiss”

writing

“Chapter hooks, especially through the middle, are as vital to your story as the hook at the beginning. — DiAnn Mills”

writing

“Character-driven novels rely a lot less on sinking ships, falling meteors, and tidal waves, and a lot more on a missed gesture, a quick nod, a moment’s hesitation — which in the hands of a great writer can feel more earth shattering than a nine-point earthquake. — Lisa Cron”

writing

“Characters are famous for utterly misreading signs and rushing headlong in the absolute wrong direction. — Lisa Cron”

writing

“Characters are not real people. They need motivation to do what they do. — Cheryl St.John”

writing

“Characters are the heart and soul of any story. — Terri S. Lesesne”

writing

“Characters with no gray areas, who are completely one thing, are boring and unrealistic. — Jeff Gerke”

writing

“Children learn language by imitating their parents’ speech patterns. It makes sense that the qualities of good writing can be learned by taking cues from masters. — Gabriele Lusser Rico”

writing

“Choose a time of day for writing and stick with it until it becomes a habit. — Gabriele Lusser Rico”

writing

“Choose carefully to paint a vivid picture, and leave out anything that can wait until later. — Cheryl St.John”

writing

“Clichéd language has no impact other than to make a reader turn away. — Laurie Alberts”

writing

“Clichés are fossils of once fresh and vivid expressions that have been calcified by overuse. — Winston Weathers”

writing

“Commas are the most frequent mark of punctuation and the most troublesome. — Robert Pinkert”

writing

“Composing is mysterious, but it isn’t supernatural. — Ann E. Berthoff”

writing

“Composing one page a day equals a book in one year. — DiAnn Mills”

writing

“Conflict is opposition to a main character’s goal. — Cheryl St.John”

writing

“Conflict is two people pursuing mutually exclusive goals, who smash into each other, physically and emotionally. — Eric Edson”

writing

“Conflict is what will bring your characters to life and make them real for the reader. — Elizabeth George”

writing

“Conflict must be an intolerable state of affairs; it must be derived from problems or situations that your characters cannot ignore or explain away. — Cheryl St.John”

writing

“Continually ask, “What are readers wondering about, hoping for, and expecting at this moment in the story?” Then give it to them. — Steven James”

writing

“Copy editors are supposed to make sure writers are actually saying what they think they’re saying. — Bill Walsh”

writing

“Crisis usually involves being pulled in many directions at once, internally as well as externally. — Jerry Cleaver”

writing

“Dare to be guided by your passion. Open your gift and release into the world of infinite possibilities the sacred truths that reside there—waiting only for you—inside story. — Dara Marks”

writing

“Dedicate your talents to God and he will use what you’ve written wherever he sees fit. — Kim Messer”

writing