Just the Right Words

If they’re not right, revise.

After the title has attracted the interest of potential readers, you depend on your subtitle to entice them to begin reading your text. But these second-most important words you write don’t always come automatically. Sometimes your subtitle needs a second opinion … or a third.

For the Model A Ford magazine I produce, I just edited an article about … Continue reading

For Later Use

Keep a stockpile of topical material.

Never throw away your accounts of what you’ve experienced; they might be come in handy for something you need to write.

That’s especially true if, like me, you struggle to write larger projects.

I much prefer shorter pieces. Things like a one-or two-paragraph social … Continue reading

Key Details

Show your reader what your protagonist sees.

Last night, when I resumed reading the detective story, I didn’t expect a lesson in the craft of fiction. But two-thirds through her tale, Australian novelist Kerry Greenwood offered a great example for writers who want to evoke emotion.

In chapter 9 of Flying Too High, set in 1928 Melbourne, private detective Phryne Fisher visits … Continue reading