Anne R. Allen's Blog, page 12
December 4, 2022
Why Realism is Irrelevant in Fiction: Aim for Believability Instead
by Anne R. Allen “I don’t do realism. Sometimes people will mention that something I’ve written doesn’t seem realistic and I always picture them looking at a Chagall and thinking the same thing. You can say, “I don’t like what you do, or I don’t like Chagall, or I don’t like Picasso” but saying that […]
The post Why Realism is Irrelevant in Fiction: Aim for Believability Instead appeared first on Anne R. Allen's Blog... with Ruth Harris.
November 27, 2022
Revenge of the Clueless: 13 Ways Guaranteed to Drive a Writer Crazy
Clueless comments are guaranteed to drive a writer crazy by Ruth Harris Anne and Ruth are proud to host the first public release of the groundbreaking study devised and conducted by the eminent neuroscientist, Einstein Fitzhemingway, MD, PhD, PfffT, and DuH. Peer reviewed under the auspices of the prestigious research institute, VonShtupp, Dummkopf, Putz und […]
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November 20, 2022
Are You Using the Right Font(s) On Your Book Cover?
Choosing the right font takes skill by Jessica Bell A good designer will know exactly what style of font suits your design and genre, but if you intend to design your book covers yourself, there are some things worth knowing about fonts before you get started. I’m pretty sure you’ve seen covers on which you […]
The post Are You Using the Right Font(s) On Your Book Cover? appeared first on Anne R. Allen's Blog... with Ruth Harris.
November 13, 2022
Critiquing 101: Ten Do’s and Don’ts for Giving Helpful Critiques
Bad critiquing can pop somebody’s bubble without being helpful by Anne R. Allen I often advise new writers to look for a critique group to help them learn the writing ropes and get free feedback as well as the support they need when starting on a writing journey. But critique groups vary widely and some […]
The post Critiquing 101: Ten Do’s and Don’ts for Giving Helpful Critiques appeared first on Anne R. Allen's Blog... with Ruth Harris.
November 6, 2022
How to Craft Award-Winning Flash and Microfiction: an Alternative to NaNoWriMo
A microfiction contest can be an alternative to novel writing in November by Amber Byers November is here, and many writers have jumped into National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), an international writing event in which writers challenge themselves to write an entire book, or 50,000 words, in the month of November. As anyone who has […]
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October 30, 2022
How to Write an Absolutely Great First Sentence
by Ruth Harris I wrote this post on writing a great first sentence as a companion-piece to Anne’s recent post on writing a great first chapter. With apologies to Jane Austen, it is a truth universally acknowledged, at least by writers and certainly by agents and editors, that no matter what genre, your first […]
The post How to Write an Absolutely Great First Sentence appeared first on Anne R. Allen's Blog... with Ruth Harris.
October 23, 2022
How TikTok Works for All Authors and Genres
by Sue Coletta When the buzz of TikTok started spreading, I wanted no part of it. With two Facebook accounts, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, YouTube, Goodreads, etc. the last thing I needed was another social media site. I could barely juggle the audience I’d amassed on social media over the last twelve years. Then I […]
The post How TikTok Works for All Authors and Genres appeared first on Anne R. Allen's Blog... with Ruth Harris.
October 16, 2022
Tropes and Archetypes vs. Clichés: Why it’s Okay to Use Familiar Elements in Fiction
Tropes of “the Other Woman” are as old as Lilith by Anne R. Allen In a workshop recently, I was gobsmacked when one writer criticized another for using a story element that’s much loved in women’s fiction. It’s the one where the heroine discovers she’s the “other woman” in her man’s life, when she thought […]
The post Tropes and Archetypes vs. Clichés: Why it’s Okay to Use Familiar Elements in Fiction appeared first on Anne R. Allen's Blog... with Ruth Harris.
October 9, 2022
James Scott Bell’s 10 Commandments for Writers
by James Scott Bell When I started to teach writing in the late 90s, I channeled my inner Charlton Heston and announced 10 Commandments for Writers. A cheeky thing to do, I admit. But when I reviewed them recently, I found I wouldn’t change one of them. So here they are, with attached comment. 1) […]
The post James Scott Bell’s 10 Commandments for Writers appeared first on Anne R. Allen's Blog... with Ruth Harris.
October 2, 2022
How to Write a Great Opening Chapter: a Revised Checklist
by Anne R. Allen Writers know the opening chapter of a book is the most important. That’s when we grab a reader who’s browsing in a bookstore or clicking on the “look inside” function for online retailers — and persuade him to reach for that wallet and buy the book. A new writer can […]
The post How to Write a Great Opening Chapter: a Revised Checklist appeared first on Anne R. Allen's Blog... with Ruth Harris.
