Writers' craft

Writers have long been fascinated with themselves and their craft, seeing a wealth of material in what is seemingly a rather mundane art-merely putting words on paper, or words onscreen. But in their own reflections, which can often border on myopic, writers have developed an entire, fascinating genre of writing about writing. In some ways, almost all popular stories are about writing.  Read more

I write on this subject a lot, because I believe that a strong character arc really is the key to an emotionally affecting novel, one that will make a strong connection with readers. And over my decade plus as a book coach, I've seen it over and over: the strongest, most affecting character arcs are anchored in the author's own experience.

What is falling action? This is a question I ask myself about once a year. Why do I ponder falling action so regularly? Well, I teach junior high English, and nowhere does falling action have more importance than in the middle school English class. That's because falling action is part of Freytag's Model, the story pyramid, a standard structure that teachers use to introduce plot structure.  Read more

Paratext fascinates me to no end. I love looking and thinking about all of the pieces that comprise a book which aren't the actual narrative itself: the book's colophon, the book's description and flap copy, the author's biography, and the copyright page hold so much information about the book and its context that overlooking them feels wrong.  Read more

When I was 14 I shaved my head, stayed in a room alone for three days, and then dipped in the cool morning waters of the Ganges. It was all part of a common Indian ritual, a rite of passage between childhood and adolescence. The alone-in-a-room-for-three-days part was meant to be a time for contemplation and meditation, but I took it as an opportunity to read David Copperfield cover to cover.  Read more