Studying Emotions in Life & Writing Through Friendly Fire

I woke in the middle of the night to the rooster crowing at the moon. Strange but true. Poor pea brained birds don’t know the difference between the moon, a bright light bulb or the sun! Later, and still before the sun had risen, I woke again to the sound of a single gun shot. [...]

Love Languages

Since this is the month of love and Valentine’s Day, I decided to post about Dr. Gary Chapman’s book, The Five Love Languages, which I recommend to read. I read an interesting book about the language of love we use. In the book, The Five Love Languages, Gary Chapman was insightful and interesting. But most [...]

Creating a Great Villain

Q: What makes a great villain? A: Ah, yes, everyone loves to hate a really bad guy, don’t they? Max Cady (Cape Fear), Hannibal Lecter (Silence of the Lambs), Annie Wilkes (Misery), Darth Vader (Star Wars): they all stir something inside us, something that makes us uneasy and uncomfortable with our own feelings. Good versus [...]

Quick Fiction Fixes – Show don’t tell emotions, part 2

We’re all busy, whether working full-time or chasing/chauffeuring kids around all day. Yet we’re also writers, striving to get our words on paper and then polish it to a sparkle. This column gives quick fixes for fiction manuscripts specifically for busy writers. Pick and choose what works best for you! Show don’t tell: Writing emotions [...]

Quick Fiction Fixes – Emotion Memory

We’re all busy, whether working full-time or chasing/chauffeuring kids around all day. Yet we’re also writers, striving to get our words on paper and then polish it to a sparkle. This column gives quick fixes for fiction manuscripts specifically for busy writers. Pick and choose what works best for you! Emotion Memory: Brandilyn Collins talks [...]

Quick Fiction Fixes – Using actions to show emotion

We’re all busy, whether working full-time or chasing/chauffeuring kids around all day. Yet we’re also writers, striving to get our words on paper and then polish it to a sparkle. This column gives quick fixes for fiction manuscripts specifically for busy writers. Pick and choose what works best for you! Character actions: (I already covered [...]

Quick Fiction Fixes – Using thoughts to show emotion

We’re all busy, whether working full-time or chasing/chauffeuring kids around all day. Yet we’re also writers, striving to get our words on paper and then polish it to a sparkle. This column gives quick fixes for fiction manuscripts specifically for busy writers. Pick and choose what works best for you! Character thoughts: Your characters are [...]

Quick Fiction Fixes – Using physical reactions to show emotion

We’re all busy, whether working full-time or chasing/chauffeuring kids around all day. Yet we’re also writers, striving to get our words on paper and then polish it to a sparkle. This column gives quick fixes for fiction manuscripts specifically for busy writers. Pick and choose what works best for you! Physical reactions: Psychiatrists agree that [...]

Quick Fiction Fixes – Using a focal character to evoke emotions

We’re all busy, whether working full-time or chasing/chauffeuring kids around all day. Yet we’re also writers, striving to get our words on paper and then polish it to a sparkle. This column gives quick fixes for fiction manuscripts specifically for busy writers. Pick and choose what works best for you! Focal characters: Readers read because [...]

Quick Fiction Fixes – Evoking emotions with the words you use

We’re all busy, whether working full-time or chasing/chauffeuring kids around all day. Yet we’re also writers, striving to get our words on paper and then polish it to a sparkle. This column gives quick fixes for fiction manuscripts specifically for busy writers. Pick and choose what works best for you! The words you use: Certain [...]

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