Writing a non-fiction book? Let’s talk! Welcome to my non-fiction blog! I am a writing coach and editor for non-fiction authors. I have been helping non-fiction writers follow their dreams for three decades and believe me I have seen the gamut of topics! My blog postings will answer the most common questions that I have encountered in my many years of coaching and editing. My posts will cover all types of non-fiction: business, medical, law, finance, self-help, memoir, spiritual, political, academic, health, and anything else that comes down the pike. As you read my blog, if you are struggling with …
Category: Help Writing Memoir
Dialogue and Scenes – Making Them Great – Quick Writing Tips
Great dialogue makes for great scenes In last week’s post, I focused on tips for writing great scenes–scenes and summary are the building blocks of fiction and memoir. A friend who blogs and writes essays read the post and reminded me that scenes and partial scenes also lend energy and veracity to nonfiction. So true! C’mon, make a scene! First of all, a vital reminder: a scene is a piece of story action, played out moment-by-moment on page, stage, or screen. Conflict drives every scene. No conflict, no scene. A scene moves, dynamically beginning in one place and ending in …
Write Great Scenes to Build Great Stories – Quick Writing Tips
Action, Conflict, Scenes! Scenes and summary are building blocks of stories–both fiction and memoir. A scene is a piece of story action, rendered continuously moment-by-moment, without summary, but with action and, often, dialogue. A scene can be acted out on stage. She wants, he wants: Characters work in conflict. If they both want to go to the same party and they go, sorry, no conflict, no scene. In contrast, let’s say Joe and Suzy are on their third date and Joe wants to take Suzy to Dave’s party. Dave is Joe’s best friend. But Suzy absolutely doesn’t want to go to Dave’s party–Joe just pointed …