Diagnosing Realism

Every story is created in a manner that the author is comfortable with presenting to their audience. It is wholly their creation and their perspective on a world of their own devising. Their own creations may represent their unique perspective but every narrative that has ever been presented to the world has been subject to both editors and publishing guidelines. A filter is applied to their work so that it can be presented to their audience. One short-hand method for authors to add tone or apply a 'gritty-realism' to their work is to utilize...

The Objective Struggle

Endeavor, Strive, Struggle.... As a writer crafts their story from the void of blank pages they maintain narrative cohesion through the basic elements. They keep the piece focused, driven with deep motivations for each of the characters. They gradually escalate the pace to keep the story moving forward. The subplots are interwoven with the story in such a precise manner that the main plot would fold without them. The reader can not resist, they are pulled into the narrative and swept away by its spell. They hurry to the completion of the story...

Orchestrating the Thriller

Regardless of the chosen direction for a narrative, all works at their core are an amusement ride. An attraction that an audience wants to experience. A thrill. Every piece contains three primary elements to compose the ride; suspense, tension and excitement. Infusing the elements into the piece in varying amounts can dictate the ultimate direction for the narrative and define its very genre. A narrative begins with a solitary question. A singular hook that draws the audience in and drives the individuals in the piece forward. In a mystery it...

Diagnosing Dialect

In crafting a narrative it is imperative to draw the audience into a world that is both believable and relatable for those observing the narrative unfold. The primary means of creating believable worlds are the details that are infused into the world. Details that range from the style of vehicles to the very culture that the protagonist experiences. Every detail has it's place in creating the world. The more details that are explored the more believable the world becomes while setting the tone of the piece. An often used technique to infuse detail...

Abstracting the Threads

Paths, lines, strands, threads.... In every narrative there is a primary premise that the creator wishes to convey but a narrative is not confined to the limits of its creator. A narrative is a web of lives, individuals with their own motives, aspirations and obligations. As a writer begins to define their piece, they reveal the individuals that are involved in the primary premise. The main individual who the audience will follow is brought forward and the writer gradually exposes the intricacies of the individual's life. Their job, aspirations,...