Beats in Fiction Writing? Honestly, beats isn't a term I use a lot, but it is a term I hear a lot, so I thought it would be good to define what beats in fiction are and why they matter. Beats in Fiction Writing Defined According to Sandra Scofield in her book, The...
scenes
How to Write a Scene, Article 4 – Build Impact with Sequence
So far in our discussion of how to write a scene, we've talked about what scene is, both as many think of it and as Dwight Swain defines it in Techniques of the Selling Writer. We've also gone over the importance of sequel and showing your characters motivation. Today...
Motivation Reaction Units – pacing and character
When I first started writing, I'd never heard of motivation reaction units (MRU). What I did know, though, was sometimes things just didn't seem to flow. Sections of prose would feel awkward and just not right. So I would re-read and re-word until they did. Even after...
How to Write a Scene– Article 1: Scenes in fiction
Article One in How to Write a Scene, Scenes in Fiction by Lori Devoti, a How To Write Fiction Series. When I first started writing I sat through a number of workshops where multi-published NY Times-best-selling authors would spout what are and aren't scenes in...