The Craft of Writing

Technique-Point of View 2 By OFW chief editor: Carlos J Cortes And Renée Miller Publish Date: May 29, 2012

Let’s write it another way:

Crickets sang from the beneath the bushes that lined the clearing. Their raspy music grated on the nerves of those trying to sleep in the tents nearby.

Bobby rolled to his side, his gaze falling on his companion. Amelia pulled the blanket over her head and sighed. Her blonde hair peeked from a small opening she left at the top, just a curl or two. The scent of raspberry drifted around the small confines of the tent, teasing his nose....more

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Technique-Point of View 1 By OFW chief editor: Carlos J Cortes And Renée Miller Publish Date: May 28, 2012

Point of view (POV) is the perspective from which the writer tells the story. We can think of it as the point from which the camera sees things when filming a movie. Whose head are we in to see the events? Whose thoughts, emotions, and conflicts are we experiencing as we read? In most novels, the writer chooses to tell the story through the eyes of the hero, making her the viewpoint character. However, this is not always the case because it isn’t always the best choice. POV is the most powerful tool the writer has and, because of this, it must be understood before tackling that bestseller....more

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Technique By OFW chief editor: Carlos J Cortes And Renée Miller Publish Date: May 27, 2012

Technique, when applied to fiction, refers to the devices we use to create a story. These are the rules of fiction writing that often frustrate and anger new writers. The rules of characterization, dialogue, narrative, exposition, and point of view (POV) are what make up writing technique. When creating setting, for example, we must try to provide readers with words that enable them to see, hear, touch, taste, and smell the world we’ve created. Part of creating great description is mastering the narrative technique....more

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Elements of fiction-Pace-Transitions-Falling Action By OFW chief editor: Carlos J Cortes And Renée Miller Publish Date: May 26, 2012

In falling action the events wind down and wrap up. This stage occurs after the climax and before the end of the story. It shows the results of the climax and suggests the plot’s resolution.

For example, at the climax of our sample story, the protagonist finds his wife. She’s fit and very alive. She’s with another man. The resolution to most of his questions comes at this moment. But wait, what is she doing with this man? Why the blood? Who is he? Why is she smiling?

We will answer these questions in the falling action, leading to the end and the most important question: What the heck happened?...more

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Elements of fiction-Pace-Transitions-Rising Action By OFW chief editor: Carlos J Cortes And Renée Miller Publish Date: May 25, 2012

Rising action consists of building the events and the action of a story to a fever pitch, right before the climax is revealed. The rising action should comprise at least the first two thirds of a novel, from the beginning to the climax.

When done well, the challenges or conflicts facing a character will pile up slowly, with the problems initially being relatively easy for the character to overcome. As the plot moves along, conflicts increase along with the tension. Problems become more complex and harder to resolve. We’re moving through the rising action and toward the climax of the story, but each scene or challenge should include its own mini-climax....more

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