Tag: Fiction

Written by John Davis Frain

Tuesday Tip #9: Tell, Don’t Show

We’ve all heard the rule to “show, don’t tell.” Heck, we’ve talked about it here. So, is it ever okay to tell instead of show? As a matter of fact, there are some particular circumstances where it’s better to tell. After all, we’re called storytellers, right? Showing engages the reader, so try to show as […]

Written by John Davis Frain

Flash Friday #8: Chekhov’s Gun

Act I We were in love. Just hadn’t admitted it yet. I arrived on time—that is, early—for her party. Toured her apartment. Her highlight: Chekhov’s gun on the mantle. Certificate of authenticity on letterhead. Act II Twice, we made eye contact across the crowded space. Grinned. In the kitchen, I brushed against her. Power died […]

Written by John Davis Frain

Tuesday Tip #8

Excise weak adverbs; insert strong verbs. Did you know the road to hell is paved with adverbs? Stephen King told us that. If you’re ready to punch up your writing, culling out adverbs is a good place to start. (Just like the passive voice, there’s a time and place for adverbs, but generally you can […]

Written by John Davis Frain

Flash Friday (on Saturday!) #7

Let’s begin our agent Janet Reid flash retrospective. This was the first entry I ever wrote for one of her contests. For the uninitiated, the way they worked was she spotted us 5 words that must be in the story and we had no more than 100 words to tell the tale. Six-Word Story by […]

Written by John Davis Frain

Tuesday Tips #6

Compelling Characters, Part II Let’s talk about the motivations for your character. Think about Kurt Vonnegut’s brilliant advice that every character in your scene should want something, even if it’s only a glass of water. If you have someone in your scene and they don’t want something … you might want to write them out […]

Written by John Davis Frain

Tuesday Tips #3

Writing Rules for you to break. Here’s something I’ve been doing over the past year, and the results have been fantastic. I took a break from working on a novel and cobbled together some short stories. My goal was to finish at least one per month. Attainable and measurable. At the same time, I tried […]

Written by John Davis Frain

Tuesday Tips #1 – March 26, 2024

My Favorite Writing Rules (All of which can be broken) This is my all-time favorite because of its simplicity and the aha moment you have when you realize its truth. This rule is born from the idea to respect your reader. They don’t need backstory. If your scene has four parts in your mind, leave […]