by Chris Eboch
In my article “From Idea to Story: Situation & Complications” I talked about turning an idea into a story by breaking it down into four main parts: situation,
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What the Right Comparison Can Do for Your Story
by Kirt Hickman
A picture is worth a thousand words (pardon the cliché, but it’s true). Good fiction draws the reader away from his mundane life and transports him to a world of wonder wholly different from his own.
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An Interview with E. H. Hackney
E. H. “Hack” Hackney is a retired engineer turned fantasy writer who lives on the east slopes of the Sandia Mountains of New Mexico. His articles and essays have appeared in East Mountain Living magazine, Albuquerque the Magazine,
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SouthWest Writers Contest and Conference Deadlines
SouthWest Writers has two important deadlines coming up at the end of this week.
Bimonthly Contest
Your Most Unforgettable Character
♦ Essay up to 500 words
Deadline: July 31
Entry fee is $10.
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Grammatically Correct: The Secret Life of Pronouns
by Dodici Azpadu
The problem with pronouns is them turn up where him least expect those, which case they is confused by who. Any questions?
No errors show up when Microsoft Word’s grammar checker is used on the opening sentence of this article.
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Human Motivations: Fodder for Fiction
by Olive Balla
Some say when a butterfly flaps its wings on one side of the earth, the air moves on the other side. That’s more than just an ancient saying—it’s physics. Science tells us for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.
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The Joy of Interviewing
by Sherri Burr
In my article “5 Steps to Master the Art of Interviewing” I discussed how to set up, prepare, and conduct interviews. I also urged writers to write up the results immediately and share them with the subject.
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An Interview with Author Patricia Smith Wood
Patricia Smith Wood began writing in earnest after retiring from a successful business career—and only after giving herself permission to call herself a writer. Her mystery novels are a weaving of creativity, research, and the knowledge she gained as the daughter of a police officer/FBI agent,
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On Finding a Reason to Join the Crowd
by Bentley Clark
I attended my first SouthWest Writers Saturday meeting a couple of months ago. By the time I got there, all the seats were taken, so I stood in a back corner of the room.
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Revising Fiction: 13 Ways to Show Character Emotions, Part 3
by Kirt Hickman
This month’s column completes a three-part look at techniques that can help you show your characters’ emotions effectively. So far, we’ve learned to:
1. Use emotional honesty.
2. Convey the source of the emotion.
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