Tag Archives: publishing
Writing: Make Your Make-Believe Elements Feel Believable
Getting your reader to suspend disbelief requires you to make your make-believe elements feel real. Fortunately, you have several techniques at your fingertips, which we will be discussing this week. It’s October! Tis the season for walking in brisk, cool … Continue reading
Sample Sunday: Out of the Shadows–Chapter 25
For Sample Sunday, I figured I would post a sample of the 2nd novel in my Elysian Chronicles series, Out of the Shadows. This chapter takes place at the United States Naval Academy where one of my main characters, … Continue reading
Today’s Writing Muse: The Swamp
Swamps make such great settings. The plants look odd. (Seriously, look at those tree roots!) The potential for gross out moments escalates with murky water and the who-knows-whats-in-it muck under the water. Quite a few of the inhabitants bite. You … Continue reading
Writing Technique: Star Wars–an Example of How to Break the Rules
Almost any writing rule can be broken, as long as the author 1) earns the right to break it and 2) executes properly. For the past few weeks, we’ve been discussing how to create the suspension of disbelief in readers … Continue reading
Writing Technique: Prep the Reader for Your Plot Twist and/or Make-Believe Element
Using a few techniques to prepare your reader for you plot twist or your make-believe element can draw your reader into your story, increase suspense, and create a huge emotional reaction in your reader. I was probably three or four … Continue reading
Writing Technique: Creating Believable Worlds, Characters & Creatures
Even your make-believe worlds, characters, and creatures should still contain believable elements. Use what you know about human nature, history, economics, government, and science to make your world feel real. Movies are full of ostentatious stunts and explosions that most … Continue reading
Writing Technique: Creating a Believable Setting
Creating a believable setting can help your readers suspend their disbelief and accept the make-believe elements in your story. Author Lakin Konieczny (read her blog here) left a great comment on one of my blog posts, explaining how she creates … Continue reading
Writing Technique: Using Archetypes
Use familiar archetypes of known fantasy creatures, aliens, and paranormal beings to surround the unbelievable with the believable. If you are new to this blog, I’ve been writing a series of posts about writing speculative fiction, including fantasy, science … Continue reading
Sample Sunday: Part of Chapter 30 from The Elysian Chronicles: A Prophecy Forgotten
It turns out that several authors post samples of their books on Sunday. (It’s called #samplesunday in the twitter-verse.) I’ve decided to join in! My first sample comes from Chapter 30 in my first published book, The Elysian Chronicles: A … Continue reading
Today’s Writing Muse: Dangerous Trees
Writing Nirvana: discovering one “story fix” that solves more than one problem. For instance, the tree trunk above can help with two writing issues all of us deal with: Making our character’s journey to solving a problem more difficult that … Continue reading
M. B. Weston's Official Website 