(TM) 1997, MasterClips Collection, IMSI PrintMaster We’ve all heard we need to stay away from the usual tropes when writing a story. But what is a trope anyway? Most dictionaries define it as the language used in a figurative sense, or a theme or device so overused it becomes cliché. Other definitions exist, but for … Continue reading Turning Tropes Topsy-Turvy
Writing Tools
Welcome to Wednesday Word Day
Late last week, an idea struck me out of the blue. What if I devoted one day a week to a new word? The notion wouldn’t leave me alone, and when I mentioned it to a friend, she loved it. So did First Reader. Thus was born Wednesday Word Day. Without further ado, I present … Continue reading Welcome to Wednesday Word Day
Overcoming Writer’s Block
(C) 2019, JJ ShaunThe dreaded Writer's Block Monster. (I'm no artist, can you tell?) I realize this is a familiar topic, but I’ve been reading a lot about Writer’s Block in the forums I follow. So, how do *I* break through my writer’s block when it threatens to derail my progress? Keep reading for a … Continue reading Overcoming Writer’s Block
Finding Stories
Sometimes it’s hard to home in on a story to tell. The Vignette Many times, what comes to my mind is a vignette rather than a story. A vignette is defined as “a short descriptive literary sketch” or a “brief incident or scene (as in a play or movie)”. If you have studied any languages, … Continue reading Finding Stories
Writing Short Fiction
Short fiction is an art form. As with any story, it must have a beginning, a middle, and an end. It must make sense and be complete. Most short stories fall in the 1,000- to 4,000-word range, although Writer’s Digest defines short stories as 1,500 to 30,000 words. Stories written using fewer than 1,000 words … Continue reading Writing Short Fiction
The Tools We Use, Part III
In the last few days, I've seen a few queries about what tools we writers use to create our “Great American Novels.” As with most choices, it really depends on the writer. Some writers pen out their entire story by hand, then transcribe it to the computer later. Others are lost without a keyboard of … Continue reading The Tools We Use, Part III
The Tools We Use: Part II
I’ve been using Scrivener for the last month or so, looking for a way to better organize my larger projects. Part of the reason I’ve had to take this step is that I’ve promised the backstory of one of my characters to my Game Master. I had an idea some time ago about a sort … Continue reading The Tools We Use: Part II
The Tools We Use, Part I
As a professional Technical Writer, I know the importance of the tools we use. At the Visible Means of Support™, we use FrameMaker® as the main application to create documentation. I've been using FrameMaker for so long that I can use it in my sleep and some of my colleagues come to me with questions. … Continue reading The Tools We Use, Part I
J.J. Shaun 