Sue Bradford Edwards's Blog, page 128

3 Things to Remember about Backstory

Unless your story starts the moment your character is born, they have backstory. Backstory is their background, what happened to them before the start of your story. Anything that is in your character’s past is part of their backstory. Keep these 3 things in mind as you work this backstory into your work-in-progress. Need to … Continue reading 3 Things to Remember about Backstory →

3 Things You Need to Know about Inner Dialogue

The things your character says are dialogue. The things she thinks are inner dialogue. If inner dialogue isn’t part of your fiction toolbox, you need to find out why inner dialogue matters and when to use it. The why is fairly easy. Inner dialogue is a great way to tell your reader how your character … Continue reading 3 Things You Need to Know about Inner Dialogue →

3 Reasons Not to Rewrite as soon as You Finish a Draft

I just finished the first draft of my cozy mystery. Monday, I finished the last chapter. Then I wrote a new first chapter because by then I had a pretty good idea where I should have started my story. Maybe that’s why it was so tempting to immediately begin my rewrite. Fortunately I know better. … Continue reading 3 Reasons Not to Rewrite as soon as You Finish a Draft →

3 Ways Your First Chapter/Scene Sets Up Your Story

I have to admit that this is a topic I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. How do you set up your story in the opening scene or chapter without giving it all away? In essence, you are making promises to your reader, promises that you have to keep. But how do you do this … Continue reading 3 Ways Your First Chapter/Scene Sets Up Your Story →

Book Chat: Casual Conversations with New Mexico Authors

Readers and writers alike are welcome to attend Casual Conversations with New Mexico Authors this Saturday (11/21) at 3 pm Mountain Time. I don’t know Pamela Nowak, author of Never Let Go, or Barb Simmons, author of The War Within. But Kris Bock, author of Christmas Cookes at the Cat Cafe, and Sarah H. Baker, … Continue reading Book Chat: Casual Conversations with New Mexico Authors →

9 Steps to Outline Your Story

Although I sometimes write fiction, I loathe outlining a fictional story. Unless we are talking picture books. I get picture book structure. When the time comes to outline a picture book, I get out fourteen post-it notes and my story board and get to work. But a novel? It just feels so big. Today while … Continue reading 9 Steps to Outline Your Story →

14 Types of Mysteries

I’ve almost finished a draft of my cozy. I finished roughing my last scene today. Tomorrow I’m going to draft a new opening scene. As I’ve been writing my cozy, I’ve also been reading a lot of mysteries and wondering how they would be categorized. Every list that I’ve found has differed slightly but compiling … Continue reading 14 Types of Mysteries →

2 Reasons Authors Should Write with Audiobooks in Mind

Thursday I finished listening to the audiobook of Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas. After the end of the book, the author and the reader, Avi Roque, interviewed each other. Interestingly enough, my mystery writers group also ended up discussing audiobooks. Here are two things I took away from these conversations. Each Character Must Sound Distinct … Continue reading 2 Reasons Authors Should Write with Audiobooks in Mind →

Which Is Better? Finish a Draft or Edit as You Go?

Recently a writing friend asked how to tally her word count for NaNoWriMo. The problem for her is simple. She doesn’t pick up where she left off and simply add to the manuscript. She rewrites as she goes, fixing what she wrote the previous day before she gets started on her word count for that … Continue reading Which Is Better? Finish a Draft or Edit as You Go? →

The Three Levels of Middle Grade Fiction

As soon as I finish the first draft of my cozy, I am going to work on a piece of middle grade nonfiction. But I need to decide where it falls in the “middle grade spectrum.” That’s my term for the idea that middle grade covers a broad developmental range, readers aged eight to thirteen … Continue reading The Three Levels of Middle Grade Fiction →