Tag Archives: lessons

Finding Story Talismans and Motifs

Motifs are not necessarily part of the story and often do not carry any extra meaning for the characters themselves. It is a relationship between the author and audience… the symbols must be both subtle yet significant | Shannon Meyerkort

Writing Character Arcs (or Falling in Love with your Characters)

‘But does Winnie actually want a husband and children, or is she happily single?’ my mentor Brooke asked as we discussed my book, Letting Go. ‘What does she want from life?’ ‘Ahhhhh,’ was my rather inarticulate response. I didn’t know. It suited my purposes for this particular character to be childless, but I hadn’t consideredContinue reading “Writing Character Arcs (or Falling in Love with your Characters)”

Interviewing Experts for your Novel

‘They wouldn’t be sweating once they were in cardiac arrest, even if it was a cocaine overdose,’ the lady across from me said. She stopped to think. ‘With a heroin overdose they might be sweaty once they’ve been resuscitated and trying to get back to normal, but it would be unlikely that two people inContinue reading “Interviewing Experts for your Novel”

Weasel Words and Tips for Writers

‘I could see her looking at me, as she readied herself to tell me about my overuse of weasel words in the nicest possible way. I felt my face tighten as I braced myself for the impact of her words.’ Or ‘She looked at me, ready to tell me about my overuse of weasel words.Continue reading “Weasel Words and Tips for Writers”

Hearing the Voice of the Writer

A million years ago (back at the turn of the century) when I was working as a research assistant at the University of New South Wales, one of my jobs was to write up the project findings into reports. I was sent with a tape recorder and notebook up the road to the Sydney Children’sContinue reading “Hearing the Voice of the Writer”