Victoria Grefer's Blog, page 7

3 Ways To Be a More Efficient Blogger

There are so many ways blogging can help us develop as an author, as well as build an audience. It is important for creative writers to blog, but blogging can sometimes be stressful and frustrating, as well as a major … Continue reading →

5 Ways Authors Learn to Relate to Their Characters….

Crafting characters who are believable yet interesting, vulnerable yet not cloying, and relatable yet flawed, is one of the most important aspects of good fiction. It doesn’t come easy…. I’ve found that the way I end up writing characters I … Continue reading →

How writing fiction helps us confront the uncertainties of life

One of the most common arguments against reading fiction (and especially writing it!) that you’ll hear goes something like this: What is the point? Isn’t the real world interesting enough? Fiction is just escapism. Live your life. Fiction has no … Continue reading →

Why “Balance” in Fiction Rarely Means a 50/50 Split

Balance in creative writing has been the theme of my last few posts, and today I wanted to start one more discussion about balance. In particular, I wanted to explore how  in fiction “balance” between two things doesn’t necessarily mean … Continue reading →

Creative Writing: The great balancing act of crafting fiction

I have been thinking a lot about balance in fiction: about how often good writing boils down to keeping between two extremes, or simply not saying something too emphatically or too often. On that note, I’d like to write today … Continue reading →

AUTHORS: on balancing personal struggles with action in creative writing

My last post about 5 psychological struggles that can enhance good plot was one of my best received ever; because of that, I wanted to follow up with a reflection on how those useful, real, and powerful personal demons characters … Continue reading →

5 Psychological Struggles That Enhance Great Plot in Fiction

I used to study literature professionally, so you could say I feel very connected with, and know how to appreciate, the psychological depth and intensity of fiction. Don’t get me wrong: I LOVE books with heavy action, and I definitely … Continue reading →

On Continuity in Creative Writing

One necessary component of engrossing, readable fiction is always cohesiveness: and today, as I edit “The Crimson League” for its second edition release this Autumn, I am thinking more and more about the role continuity plays in cohesiveness. There are … Continue reading →

4 Reasons Typos Matter In Your Published Novel

The dreaded typo…. I think we authors sometimes have nightmares about them. They chase us, horrible monsters spouting terrible grammar. Truth be told, I think we all understand that perfection is near unattainable, and that the best proofreader is going … Continue reading →

On Authorial “Frauditis”

Feeling like a writer fraud…. I think this happens to all of us authors, for various reasons. A big case of frauditis struck me this morning, and it’s all because I needed to look something up in one of my … Continue reading →