Scriveners' Trappings

Anything to help get your career rolling in writing. 

Great resource for writers--beginners and pros alike!

***This review was written by Penelope Silvers for her curated content on "Writing Rightly"***

Link to the original article: http://thewritelife.com/100-best-websites-writers-2016/

We hear lots about point of view, plot and climax, but what about foreshadowing? This very important element of a story seems to have been relegated to a back room and stuffed in the closet.

In its simplest form? It prepares readers for what will happen in the story. I'm sure you've read books where at the point of a major plot twist, you shake your head and say, huh? We all have. You feel cheated and want to snap that book shut!

There are two parts:

Part 1: The Plant    (Blantant or Subtle Hints)

Part 2: The Payoff (Important Scenes Play Out)

Foreshadowing can ease readers into what is going to happen. Sneak it in like pureed veggies, but don't hit readers over the head with it. This way, when you execute your plot twist, your readers will be delighted--not disgusted.

***This review was written by Penelope Silvers for her curated content on "Writing Rightly"***

Link to the original article: http://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/2013/04/how-to-use-foreshadowing.html

Sometimes we all need a little push to get going on a writing spree. Students are just beginning their writing journey, so this article could be a big help for teachers. It gives 52 Elementary Writing Prompts--one for every week of the year--to get their little fingers flying.

I shared it because there are also some great story prompts here for adults. I believe these could be used to jog our memories about certain events in our lives. It just may lead to a short story, and then possibly a book!

Have fun with them, let your imagination run wild, and see where it takes you!

***This review was written by Penelope Silvers for her curated content on "Writing Rightly"***

Link to the original article: http://www.journalinghelps.com/Elementary-Writing-Prompts.html

Dialogue is one of those tricky areas that trip up many authors--myself included. As I am writing my first romance novel, I run into areas such as:

How much dialogue is enough?

When and where should you insert dialogue?

When should you move from narrator consciousness to talking?

How long should you make the responses?

Author Roz Morris gives us seven simple steps to writing great dialogue. You would think most would seem obvious, but some of them are real ah ha! moments. I really appreciate these tips:

VISUALS - People move as they talk. They shrug, make faces, cook, clean, etc. Create a picture in your reader's mind. This will create a richer, more dramatic scene.

REACTIONS - Are the characters reacting and talking or does their internal dialogue evaporate when they start being vocal?

DECLUTTER - Think of your reader when you write dialogue. Readers scan through these scenes quickly, and don't need to be told of every breath and blink. Let your scene sit for a few days, and go back at it with fresh eyes to take out the fat.

Header on over to the article to read four more great tips!

***This review was written by Penelope Silvers for her curated content on "Writing Rightly"***

Link to the original article: http://nailyournovel.wordpress.com/2013/04/28/write-great-dialogue-scenes-in-7-steps

What on earth are they saying? With this excellent advice, you can bet it it's worth listening to.

You can be a writer and you can making a living from it, but it may take a little savvy on your part. If you're fresh out of ideas of where you could sell your literary wares, this article could give you a jump start.

There are several very creative niches I knew nothing about. Find one, and get started on your writing career!

***This review was written by Penelope Silvers for her curated content on "Writing Rightly"***

Link to the original article: http://www.fabfreelancewriting.com/blog/2013/10/15/be-a-happy-writer-10-ideas-for-writing-businesses-you-can-start-today/

Dialogue can trip up even the most seasoned of writers. You can read about it all day long, but until you're actually writing and needing to use dialogue tags (or speech tags), you'll probably skip over this stuff.

Think of these tags as signposts, pointing to who is actually doing the talking. Each tag contains at least one noun or pronoun. (said, asked, whispered, remarked).

Susannah said

the clerk asked

she said and took off her coat

he said, looking sad

As I am writing my current novel, I sail merrily along, adding in some dialogue tags with ease, and getting myself mired in the mud at others.

Do I use he said or she said? Where does that comma go? Should I use a more expressive tag?

One thing to keep in mind: the "he/she said," or "he/she asked" will disappear in the reader's mind, while adding in an expressive tag will make it stick out like a sore thumb.

Read on if you, too, need a college lesson in drumming up the proper speech tag.

***This review was written by Penelope Silvers for her curated content on "Writing Rightly"***

Link to the original article: http://www.scribophile.com/academy/he-said-she-said-dialog-tags-and-using-them-effectively

Writing endings for our stories could be the easiest thing in the world or the hardest. The best way to begin is to ponder on what kind of ending is expected for the genre in which you are writing. If you are writing a category romance, readers are going to expect the love interests to finally get together and have a happy ending. There have been exceptions (Romeo and Juliet or Love Story). If you are a reader anticipating a romantic story and happy ending, do you want to read a tragic ending? I don't.

The 10 tips presented should give you a great beginning to write your own ending. Check out the article for all the details.

1. Always keep in mind what is EXPECTED in the genre.

2. Avoid the dreaded DEUX EX MACHINE (gods taking care of it).

3. Think APPROPRIATE ending rather than satisfying ending.
4. NO MISERABLE ENDINGS for characters to no real purpose
5. Struggling? Compose an EVENT. Bring most characters together
6. REALLY struggling—go back to the BEGINNING.
7. When the story is over—STOP.
8. BEWARE of TOO MUCH BUILD UP with too quick a resolution.
9. No need to tie up every little plot string, but TIE UP MOST of them
10. EPILOGS: I kind of like them (peek into the future)

***This review was written by Penelope Silvers for her curated content on "Writing Rightly"***

Link to the original article: http://debravega.wordpress.com/2013/08/18/10-tips-for-writing-endings-to-your-story/

Like a strong beginning, you ought to have a good ending ~ in any story!  Give it a try...!