Not actually 100 + pages yet! WRITING TIPS is still under construction, only 75 pages posted so far, with about 50 more to go. But the 3 biggest sections are there. Namely –
II THE ELEMENTS (= 1. Action, 2. Setting, 3. Dialogue, 4. Thinking Inside)
II CHARACTERS
III STORY
This location on my <richardharland.net> author-site is only temporary, with a silly-looking web address. Eventually, WRITING TIPS will have a separate site of its own. When it does, there’ll be a whole lot of pics and cartoons to lighten it up. (Also contact address, and chat room/bulletin board.)
Right now, it probably comes across as a lot of know-all pontificating. Help! Make allowances! These are just thoughts that have helped me. It would be great if they helped anyone else, but that’s a hope, not a guarantee.
Okay, on to business …
Who are these tips for?
These tips are for genre writers not literary writers, for storytellers not writers of semi-autobiographical memoirs. Some of them apply specifically to fantasy, SF and horror, most of them work for any popular fiction that needs page-turning excitement, suspense and a strong storyline.
Are they good for everyone?
I don’t believe any tips are universal—it depends what you start out with. If you naturally write with few adjectives, you don’t need advice on cutting them down. If your tendency is to show events dramatically (like me), you’ll have more use for advice about telling events over time—and vice versa. Some things I do naturally I’ve never had to think about.
Why listen to Richard Harland?
I’m not J.K.Rowling, that’s for sure. Maybe because I have an unusual sort of schizophrenia—one half of my brain creates while the other half observes. I think a lot about what does and doesn’t work when I’m producing stories, and I’ve tested my ideas in hundreds of creative writing workshops.
Still wish I was J.K. Rowling, though …
Why are you doing this for free?
I’m a middling-successful author with 15 published books of fantasy, SF and horror, some for adults, some YA and some for younger readers. I reckon that makes me luckier than most, Here’s my way of getting good karma and giving something back!
To start, try the ELEMENTS, CHARACTERS or STORY buttons on the left sidebar. Or use the NEXT button at the bottom.
I’ll do a continuous text for easier downloading and printing out when I have time. The Site Map and General Index will probably be the last thing I get around to.
Here’s to good karma! If these tips are any help at all, pass the word along!
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