Elizabeth Rawls's Blog, page 37

Help! The Pace, It’s Too Fast!

You’ve finished writing down your story; the rough draft is done! You go back and look things over, pleased with yourself, when you suddenly realize something’s not quite right. You look more closely, maybe even compare it with another story. You come to realize what’s been nagging at you: The pace of your story is too fast! The pace of your story is too slow! Whichever one it is, you start to worry, and beat yourself up about it, trying to think how this problem can be resolved; or can it be...

Make Your Villains Real: 6 Tips

Every great story needs a worthy villain. A person who brings out the best and the worst in the protagonist. The bad guy who keeps the plot moving forward, and keeps readers hanging on the edge of their seat. The dark monster contrasting the hero’s brilliant light! But it’s not as simple as that. There are as many types of villains as there are types of stories and plots out there. How you choose to craft your villain is equally as important as how you craft your protagonist. Here are thought...

How to Write Battle & Action Scenes: 5 Tips

Epic battle scenes. Epic fights. We all love them, right? These are the exciting parts in the story where we cringe, squeal and goggle at the screen, while anxiously watching our favorite character to see if he/she will survive and how it will reshape them. The same goes for books: as we read through the epic fight or daunting battle we want to feel fear, amazement, be surprised, be anxious, our fingers clinging to the nearest pillow. We want to feel that it’s real, and that we are there watc...

How to Write Battle & Action Scenes

Epic battle scenes. Epic fights. We all love them, right? These are the exciting parts in the story where we cringe, squeal and goggle at the screen, while anxiously watching our favorite character to see if he/she will survive and how it will reshape them. The same goes for books: as we read through the epic fight or daunting battle we want to feel fear, amazement, be surprised, be anxious, our fingers clinging to the nearest pillow. We want to feel that it’s real, and that we are there watc...

Write the Hard Stuff: Part 2

If you missed Part 1, click here.

Please keep in mind these are suggestions only. They are meant as advice to help you polish your writing skills and help readers engage more in your work. Think of it as the “seasoning” to your dish–adding flavor to your story.

Show us, don’t just tell us.

Add some fun and mystery inside your descriptions. If a character has blue eyes or pointed ears, think of creative ways to show us without telling us. Clothing style and color can also be hinted at in this way...

Write the Hard Stuff: Part 1

Write the Hard Stuff: Part 1
It might not sound pleasant; in fact, it sounds like a lot of work. And you might be wondering right now if going through with something difficult will really pay off.

Let me begin by explaining what “writing the hard stuff” is—that which adds depth and gets people engaged in a book’s words:

Writing Fresh

Avoiding the cliché phrases, expressions and descriptions.

And

Subtext

The “what is said, but not said”; reading between the lines. The “show” us, don’t “tell” us.

In th...

One Lovely Blog Hop

This blog hop is designed to show our readers a more personal side to ourselves. We’ve been challenged by another author/ blogger (somewhat like the ‘ice bucket’ challenge) to list seven interesting facts to help cast light onto that tough writer’s/ blogger’s persona we all like to project. But we want to show that behind every story is a story, our story, my story, and like everyone else we have dreams, hobbies, problems and goals. This blog hop is a way to share some of them with you. I was...

What Your Faves Have in Common

What keeps you reading:

This is an interesting question to think about before and during thewriting process: What do all of your favorite stories have in common? (this can include all media, not just books)
Why find out? Because answering this question for yourself may give you an idea of what it is you want to do with your own story, how the plot can be woven, what your goal is, and how your story will engage with readers.

Take a moment and think through which stories are your favorite—make a l...

Moment of Peace

From the book: Bleeding Heart

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“Moment of Peace”

Argue, bicker as the stage performance is planned.

Worry, hurry, silent upset and frustration in the air.

Stress, the torments of life surfacing

—Impossible to get along with everybody.

But when the lights change, and the stage curtains open

All come together to perform their dance.

All thoughts fading, and worries gone, anger halted

To live in the moment, to live in the performance…

The moment washing away all else

Bringing calm,...

The 7/7/7 Challenge!

I came across this fun challenge on the wonderful Sara Letourneau’s blog.

To complete the 7/7/7 Challenge, writers need to share 7 sentences from their WIP (Work in Progress), starting at the 7th line of their WIP’s seventh page. But if those sentences make no sense at all, or you don’t feel comfortable with them, you can start from the 7th chapter instead! So:

7/7/7

(7th page/7th line/7 sentences counting from the line)

or

7/7/7/7

(7th chapter/7th page/7th line/7 sentences counting from the line)

I...