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Chilean novelist Isabel Allende needs no introduction; the world’s most widely read Spanish-language author, Allende boasts a trophy cabinet full of awards and honors, including the Obama-bestowed Presidential Medal of Freedom. Known for her intensely personal fiction, Allende often blends magical-realist elements with historical narratives and biographical aspects. Despite her mastery of the …
[Read more...] about 7 Ways Isabel Allende Can Help You Improve Your Writing
In part 1 of this article (available here) we looked at some of the plot twists that only the bravest of authors should attempt in their writing – the type of high-risk, high-reward narrative developments that you need real guts to implement in your story. We talked false protagonists, hidden identities, dishonest narrators, and the surprising rewards of the major time jump. Well, today …
[Read more...] about 6 Daring Plot Twists To Try In Your Writing – Part 2
When we talk about plot twists, we tend to only really discuss those twists that come at the ends of their stories. Such twists are great, they’re one of the most effective ways to bring your story to a genuine climax, but they’re not the only way to go. Plenty of stories twist within their first third, or halfway through, treating a realignment of assumptions not as the point the story builds to, …
[Read more...] about 6 Daring Plot Twists To Try In Your Writing – Part 1
Once upon a time, in a grand castle in the heart of medieval Europe, there was a fair maiden by the name of… Tiffany. Wait, what? Don’t you mean ‘Guinevere’ or something? Recently, I outlined the literary problems posed by anachronisms – details that don’t belong in a historical period, like an Edwardian courtier getting a call on his iPhone. We discussed how to avoid anachronisms, how to tell …
[Read more...] about How You Can Overcome The Tiffany Problem In Your Writing
There are many occasions where readers don’t care about historical accuracy. Traditional fantasy stories take place in a semi-medieval period with no clear beginning or end, romance tales tend to soften historical attitudes to create protagonists we can actually root for, and subgenres like steampunk thrive on injecting a little novelty into real history. If that’s what you’re writing, your …
[Read more...] about Anachronisms Kill Historical Fiction – Here’s How To Stop Them
Satire, pastiche, homage, and parody – four literary terms subject to frequent misuse. Most readers and writers have some sense of what each word means, but many struggle to pin down the specifics – something about real-world references, humor, and mockery, right? Well, kind of. These four horsemen may describe similar genre conventions and devices, but don’t be fooled: they’re not synonymous. …
[Read more...] about What Writers Like You Need To Know About Satire, Pastiche, Homage, And Parody
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