Category rant

Sin #20: Same ol’, same ol’ The only one of a kind, one in a million, different from all others…not likely, but that doesn’t mean you have to fall in with the rest of the crowd. While a lot of…

Sin #19: Spoiling the surprise I’m a great fan of a good twist ending. I felt the need to add the word ‘good’ in that first sentence because there are so many endings out there that rely on solely on…

Sin #18: Lots of things beginning with S Ok, S is an excellent letter…not only does Steven start with an S – but so do fun words such as sun, sea, sex, and most words uttered by a Yorkshire man…

Sin #17: Ignoring the dramatic arc Dramatic structure crops up in all works of fiction. The structure of any story will follow a rough outline, or pyramid in this case. This outline device has been analysed to death over the…

Sin #16: Unanswered questions Plot, just like real life, is complicated at best. There is no such thing as a simple plot, and if there is…yeesh what a boring book that must be! Even Spot books like to throw a…

Sin #15: You said that she said that I said that he… First, second, third? Third person limited, objective, omniscient or subjective? Alternating POV? And that’s before you even write the first word! Which POV of view to use is…

Sin #14: Words for words that you use/like more than other words for words Onomatomania is the desire to use particular words over and over again. Words that stick in the authors mind for one reason or another. They may…

Sin #13: What’s in a name? “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose.By any other name would smell as sweet.” Yeah, that may be true for roses Juliet but most writers think a character by any other…

Sin #12: Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Ma•crol•o•gy n. Long and tedious talk without much substance; superfluity of words. As writers we have lots to say. Fair enough, but don’t try and put it all in one story! I…