Activity

We read for delight, for insight, for thrills, and for comfort. But how do we read as writers?

The answer is—differently. Some writers read gingerly, fearful of being overwhelmed by the eloquence of others and losing confidence in their own powers. Others read savagely, looking for weaknesses th…

Arguments are most nerve-wracking when the characters imply what they feel instead of coming right out and saying it. In fact, the more intense the feelings, the more likely people are to say the opposite of what they really mean. If you want to keep up a high level of tension, keep the dialogue ev…

People speak variously. Some talk in clichés, some talk like the authors of philosophy tomes. Some people slip back and forth between dialect and formal language. Writers can signal that they know that the character’s speech is idiosyncratic:

Proget was a weird mix of garret and gutter. One mi…

Variations on said, like answered, commented, added, replied, asked, queried, muttered, snarled, roared, are best used sparingly. They call attention to themselves and sometimes seem strained. Adverbs in speech tags often sound corny—she said kittenishly, he responded sneeringly, she hissed angrily…

If you don’t create evocative settings, your characters seem to have their conversations in vacuums or in some beige nowhere-in-particular. Some writers love description too much. They go on and on as if they were setting places at the table for an elaborate dinner that will begin later on. Beautif…