Conflict between characters is one of the pivotal elements that keep a reader turning the pages. I was thinking about this during the week and it came to me that conflict reminded me of the fractal poster my brother had on his wall when we were kids. If you aren’t familiar with them fractals make…
Craft
Conference wrap-up
Last weekend was the Romance Writers of Australia annual conference. Held in Brisbane this year, the conference is always a highlight on my calendar. Immersing myself in all things writing for a few days injects me with enough enthusiasm and inspiration to overturn any flagging mojo. I love, in equal parts, catching up with my…
You’re the Voice
We have The chance to turn pages over We can write what we want to write… You’re the voice try and understand it (“You’re the Voice” by John Farnham) Okay, maybe this isn’t quite the correct interpretation of these lyrics, but it works for me. Voice is the way your writing ‘sounds’. In the same…
What makes a story shine?
Why does an agent or judge pick one story over another? What makes a story shine? Point of View, Show not Tell, Dialogue, Story Structure, Pacing… all the functional components must be spot on. But these are all things any manuscript can have tightened during the editing process. Yes, not everyone will have the skill…