World building is a chore and a joy – all those intricate pieces to address, to fit into place and set going, and yet so much satisfaction when they all work together, giving your character somewhere amazing to explore. We’ve talked before about effective world building techniques, but there’s one area of this essential task
It’s time-honored advice that authors can learn as much – if not more – from badly told stories than from works of genius. Good writing, after all, is idiosyncratic; there’s only so much you can learn from Twain or Hemingway before you’re simply learning their style, whereas poor writers highlight the pitfalls you might tumble into
The thing about writing in the genre of speculative fiction (science fiction, fantasy, magical realism, fairy tale, steampunk, urban fantasy, etc.) is that you have to ask the reader to suspend what they know to be true about the world. In a mystery, it’s not difficult for a reader to believe that Harry killed Mike
The conventional wisdom about flashbacks goes something like this: use them sparingly, if at all. It’s good advice, because a mishandled flashback can stunt the flow of your narrative, lose a reader’s interest, harm suspension of disbelief, create confusion, or cause any number of other problems. But, don’t be discouraged, flashbacks can work, and they’re worth
Have any questions? We are always open to talk about your writing, publishing projects, creative opportunities and how we can help you.
