I was in a discussion with other writers about the idea of payoff for the reader. Our readers expect something in return for opening our books. I expect writers to spend some time thinking about what I might see in the promise of the first pages, in the back cover copy, and in the emotional […]
What Do You Owe Your Reader? By Lani Longshore Read More »
Some days are best spent hiding from the world and making as few decisions as possible. You know the ones – the days when you wait for the stop sign to turn green, or you forget to look at the electronic pad at the grocery checkout so don’t see that it’s been asking you to
When the shelter-in-place order came out, I decided to journal every day. I thought I would be doing my part to help future historians. What I discovered was that I was learning a valuable lesson in character development. While reading through the journal, I noticed that although I miss my friends, I’m not suffering from
COVID-19 and Character Development by Lani Longshore Read More »
I read a cultural history of Saint Petersburg, Russia, that reminded me of how much place influences character. Almost all of my favorite composers, from the 1800s well into the 20th century, were born and/or trained in Saint Petersburg. I was amazed at how many of the 20th century musicians either stayed or returned despite
Place, History and Character Development by Lani Longshore Read More »
My daughter posted a meme on Facebook called California English: yeah, no means no; no, yeah means yes; yeah, no, for sure means definitely. That is why I love eavesdropping on random conversations to help with character development. Dialogue can tell the reader so much about the character, sometimes without them being aware of it.
Dialogue and Character Development by Lani Longshore Read More »
RUE–Resist the Urge to Explain. Over-explaining is one of the quickest ways to get your readers to skim. The problem is, no one can define how much backstory is sufficient or can pinpoint the exact place to insert it. This is one of the aspects of craft that can drive even an experienced writer around
How to RUE by Lani Longshore Read More »
I started writing another book. I have a title (The Captain and Chenille), and a concept. That is, I had a concept until I realized the universe is telling me to rethink the idea. I wasn’t listening to my characters telling me what they wanted to do, and my writing time wasn’t happy. First came
Character, Plot and Writing Happiness by Lani Longshore Read More »
This year I am giving thanks to the army of on-line security workers. These people, who think up such clever questions to answer when setting up a new account, have just given me another opportunity to create backstory for my characters. Consider the questions: what is your favorite music? what was your first car?
When a Writer Gives Thanks by Lani Longshore Read More »
Two doctors decided that the doctor who diagnosed the rash on my palm a couple of months ago was mistaken. “The good news is, what he prescribed didn’t do you any harm,” one of them said. The better news is, I can use that in my writing. Stay with me here. Diagnosis is hard, and
Misdiagnosing the Plot by Lani Longshore Read More »
Someone asked me if I had grandchildren. Without thinking, I said, “Oh, no, thank goodness.” I got some funny looks on that one, but it’s very true that I am not grandma material. That got me thinking about the characters in my stories. Do I know whether they are grandparent material? Would they get down
Is Your Character Grandma Material? by Lani Longshore Read More »
