Figments & Fables Blog

The Blog Hub

Your library of all things story, neuroscience, writing, and the writer’s life.

This isn’t your average blog.

This is where we explore the intersection of neuroscience, narrative, and the creative process.

You’ll find tools, story strategies, mindset reframes, and resources for all aspects of writing, derived from over 30 years of experience in the craft.

Whether you are writing fiction, screenplays, speeches, business copy, or creative nonfiction, you’ll find a blog to help you tackle issues, launch new projects, stay organized, get motivated, deal with blank page paralysis, and so much more.

 

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But I’m Not a Writer

But I’m Not a Writer

Writers are those who write. It’s that simple. There’s no other definition of a writer required....

What Are Stories?

What Are Stories?

Stories demand attention. When someone begins telling a story (sharing a memory, experience, or...

The Case for Stories

The Case for Stories

Why Stories? Our brains are wired for stories. It’s how we connect, relate, and remember. Even...

Writing Through Trauma

Writing Through Trauma

Life doesn’t always go to plan. My father always insisted that the best stories came from times...

The Science of Story

The Science of Story

Stories are powerful. We all want to know what happened next, how it felt to stare down danger or fall in love or fail spectacularly. It’s exactly those stories that help us connect and feel.

This blog could be like any other out there, sharing the power of story. But what happens if I tell you why stories matter to me? What if I let you into one of my stories before I give you facts on why stories work? Let’s see.

How to Write a Treatment for Scripts and Screenplays

How to Write a Treatment for Scripts and Screenplays

A treatment is a summary of your script or screenplay idea. They are used for a variety of purposes, but mostly to pitch an idea and approach for a film or video. Writers typically use treatments for corporate work, influencer scripts, YouTubers, documentary films, short runs, and other quick pitches. They are the fastest way to convey your idea for visual or audio formats.

Story Problems: Four Major Issues Writers Face, Part II of III

Story Problems: Four Major Issues Writers Face, Part II of III

Mary Sues are perfect in whatever they do. They possess skills at an unusually high level with little or no effort required to acquire those talents. They never have to try and never fail. They are the “chosen ones” or the best at what they need to excel in their world or story. They are beloved by all for no obvious reason. They are simply desired. They are attractive, but lack personality in most cases. But they do have power even if they don’t have to work to achieve their goal.

Story Problems: Four Major Issues Writers Face, Part I of III

Story Problems: Four Major Issues Writers Face, Part I of III

Identifying and avoiding story-related issues in your writing that weaken the experience and characters. While the following list is not exhaustive, it does reflect some of the most glaring issues facing stories today. Ignore them at your peril. Three are character based and the final issue affects every aspect of story. This is part one of a three-part series. More to come.

Concept vs. Premise vs. Story, Part II of II

Concept vs. Premise vs. Story, Part II of II

In the first part of this series, we looked at the definitions and purposes of concept, premise and story. Now let’s look at how to build a good premise and break down one of the previous examples to see how the author built a stronger story from her concept and premise.

Concept vs. Premise vs. Story, Part I of II

Concept vs. Premise vs. Story, Part I of II

Concept, premise and story are not the same things. Confusing them or using them interchangeably is a common mistake, but one that weakens writing. In this two-part series, we’ll explore what each of these terms means and how to use each technique to build stronger stories.

How to Succeed in Your Writing and Freelance Business in 2022 (Part III of IV)

How to Succeed in Your Writing and Freelance Business in 2022 (Part III of IV)

Explore strategies and tactics for finding client-based work in this third installment in the series on finding new work in 2022. We’ll finish up the series next week with a blog focusing on strategies and tactics for freelance writers (articles, blogs, etc) and those writing novels or nonfiction books.
Taking on clients is a great way to boost your business. Not only does it open up your potential sources of income, but clients offer a variety of benefits to any freelance business.

How to Succeed in Your Writing and Freelance Business in 2022 (Part II of IV)

How to Succeed in Your Writing and Freelance Business in 2022 (Part II of IV)

What are you goals in 2022? What do you need to do to reach them? This series looks at the questions you need to ask and answer to achieve your vision. It looks at questions like, how many words do you want to write? How many clients do you need? How many assignments? How much will you need to charge to make it?

How to Succeed in Your Writing and Freelance Business in 2022 (Part I of IV)

How to Succeed in Your Writing and Freelance Business in 2022 (Part I of IV)

Success looks different these days. Our world has changed these past couple of years and freelancing has become more common and more competitive. Standing out as a freelance writer or author has become a bit harder. How will you succeed?

This series looks at setting yourself up for success in the new year. January is the perfect time to set a course for the months ahead. It’s typically a slow period for freelancing and the weather invites introspection and planning.

Setting Your 2022 Writing Goals for Success

Setting Your 2022 Writing Goals for Success

The start of a new year always comes with a sense of new beginnings and a refreshed attitude. Making resolutions to write more and finish that novel go hand-in-hand with renewed energy. The problem is making that energy last beyond the second week. Sticking to those resolutions until they are fulfilled or underway and part of a new routine.

End of Year Tasks for Freelance & Professional Writers (Part 1 of 3)

End of Year Tasks for Freelance & Professional Writers (Part 1 of 3)

Time has flown this year and it is time again to close out another year of writing.

This is a great time to take stock of where you are with your writing and get organized for the year to come. Finish our your freelance writing year with a few year-end tasks. Below you will find part one of our three-part series on steps writers and small businesses should take to finish out a year for better success in the new one.

Gifts for Writers 2021

Gifts for Writers 2021

Gift ideas for the writer and reader in your life, even if that’s you. Here is the 2021 holiday gift guide from Figments & Fables.

NaNoWriMo: The Halfway Point—How Are You Doing?

NaNoWriMo: The Halfway Point—How Are You Doing?

We are halfway through November, which means, if you are doing NaNoWriMo (writing a novel during the National Novel Writing Month of November), you should have at least 25,000 words on the page by now. How are you doing? Ahead of schedule? Behind? Hopelessly flailing or flying along?

Finding the Theme of Your Story: And Why It Matters

Finding the Theme of Your Story: And Why It Matters

Themes enhance stories, making them more meaningful. It’s theme that makes a story linger in your memory. It’s theme that provides the touchstone for what happens. It’s what informs everything that follows the opening sequence. Themes matter to the story and your writing. But most of all, theme matters to your characters.

Rejection: It’s Okay to Feel the Pain

Rejection: It’s Okay to Feel the Pain

Writers get rejected. It’s part of the job. But the frequency with which it happens doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt.

Recently I threw my name into consideration for a contract position I wanted. It would have meant a significant cut in my rate, but an increase in my quality of life. I would have been writing about a topic that would have brought me joy. It was a job I also would have excelled at doing. But therein lies the problem—I was overqualified and too expensive. Or maybe they just didn’t like my pitch or tone or samples. Who knows? I never heard. It was one of those situations where you apply and hear crickets.

16 Ways to Open a Script: The Opening Scene (Part II of II)

16 Ways to Open a Script: The Opening Scene (Part II of II)

The first moments of your script or novel matter. They set up what is to follow and hook the audience. Or they don’t.

The best film openings establish tone, settings, and character. They establish context for what will follow or establish expectations that will be thwarted later on. They do more than simply open the film. They start the story and grab the audience.

16 Ways to Open a Script: Opening Scenes

16 Ways to Open a Script: Opening Scenes

How you start your script or screenplay matters. These opening scenes establish an expectation and either appeal or repel an audience. What a film shows in the first five minutes is critical to how an audience will react, how engaged they become, and how long they will sit watching your story unfold.

The opening shot is your chance to hook them. It’s the first exchange of information. The first connection. How you approach that is everything.

What You Read…Does It Matter?

What You Read…Does It Matter?

Does it matter whether you fill your head with the classics or modern books? Manga or SciFi/Fantasy? Romance or nonfiction? The top 100 books by NPR or the Rory Gilmore Challenge? Does what you read matter as much as the fact that you are reading?

Care and Feeding of a Client (Part 2 of 2)

Care and Feeding of a Client (Part 2 of 2)

Part one of this blog covered the first five tips for caring for your clients as a freelance writer.

Clients are essential to running a successful freelance business. They keep the lights on and the dream alive. It pays to learn how to care for those relationships.

Care and Feeding of a Client (Part 1 of 2)

Care and Feeding of a Client (Part 1 of 2)

Freelance writers need clients. They are the lifeblood of a strong freelance business. They pay the bills and keep the dream alive. As such, it pays to take care of them and nurture those relationships.

For the purpose of this article, I will lump editors and publishers (both traditional and online) in with clients. The tips below work for anyone who hires you to write for them.

15 Tricks for Proofreading Your Work

15 Tricks for Proofreading Your Work

You’ve finished your project and hit send. Then you notice an error. It’s the worst feeling when you find the mistake after submission. Those tiny errors haunt writers, which is why proofreading is an essential step for everyone. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve written an email, presentation or novel. It needs to be error-free.

Start of School: How a Box of Pencils Inspires Better Writing and Renewed Passion for Freelancing

Start of School: How a Box of Pencils Inspires Better Writing and Renewed Passion for Freelancing

The sight of school supplies lined up in boxes in colorful store displays brings back memories. There is something magical seeing those pencils sharpened and ready to write new words and stories. It’s a writer’s dream. Even when I was a grade school student, I loved the colors and feel of pencils. Later, I became obsessed with pens and have boxes of them stashed in my office supply closet.

They contain possibilities. Words still unwritten. Stories begging to be released.

The Five Phases of Big Picture Editing

The Five Phases of Big Picture Editing

Editing can be fun, but it also can be tough. It’s an emotional phase of the writing process that can batter a writer’s spirit. Not all of the time. There will be projects that are easy to write and edit, but I’m not talking about those projects today. Today I’m talking about those larger beasts that tear at a writer’s soul. The projects that make us question whether we can write and why we want to do this in the first place. Those projects are the ones that test our resolve to write.

Top 12 Tips for Critiquing Someone Else’s Work

Top 12 Tips for Critiquing Someone Else’s Work

I am often asked to critique my friends’ work. I consider it an occupational hazard. Of course, I also offer manuscript critiques as part of my business. I enjoy doing them, but recognize they can present a few challenges and always proceed with caution.

The Throughline: What Is It, Why You Need One, and How You Create One (Part 1 of 2)

The Throughline: What Is It, Why You Need One, and How You Create One (Part 1 of 2)

The throughline is a single thread that winds through your story and off which everything else hangs. It drives the writing and organizes the plot, action and character development. The throughline is the main motivation driving the protagonist toward the ending. It is what holds your story together so it can be a story instead of a random collection of anecdotes and scenes. A good throughline is how you propel your story forward in a way that makes sense.

Three Questions to Ask Yourself If You Want to Be a Writer

Three Questions to Ask Yourself If You Want to Be a Writer

Lots of people talk about writing and being a writer. They dream about book signings and being famous, the photo on the back of the cover, the money. What few do is embrace what it takes to get there. The hard days/nights of work and the roller coaster of emotions that are inevitable. Even fewer actually sit down and write.

If you want to be one of this small group, ask yourself these three questions:

12 Non-Writing Fields Writers Should Study

12 Non-Writing Fields Writers Should Study

Studying is an eternal state of being for writers. It’s our lifeblood–how we hone our craft and add depth to our work. As Gary Paulson says, “If you want to be a good writer, you’ve got to read like a wolf eats.” I believe that applies to studying too.

9 Signs of Amateur Writing & How to Fix Them (Part 1 of 2)

9 Signs of Amateur Writing & How to Fix Them (Part 1 of 2)

Writing is a skill. It takes time to master. That doesn’t mean you can’t earn a living writing before you achieve an expert level, but you will need to refine your skills to have a career.

Here are 9 signs of amateur writing and how to avoid them:

Interrogating Your Characters: How Asking Questions Will Lead to Stronger Stories (Part 1 of 2)

Interrogating Your Characters: How Asking Questions Will Lead to Stronger Stories (Part 1 of 2)

The only thing that matters in fiction is why. Why does what is happening matter to the protagonist and other characters? Why should we care? It’s not enough for things to happen to your characters. You have to know what it means to each of them and how it affects their lives. This means you need to know what makes your characters tick. Why they make the choices they do. Why they react the way they do. Why they don’t just walk away.

Opening Lines (Part 2 of 2)

Opening Lines (Part 2 of 2)

In the last blog, we discussed what first lines of stories need to include. Now we’ll look at ways you can improve your opening lines.

Opening Lines (Part 1 of 2)

Opening Lines (Part 1 of 2)

First sentences are paramount to stories. They are the first impression. The hook by which readers are tempted to continue on instead of tossing the book back on the shelf so they can keep looking. They are a portal to the story itself.

Why Storytelling Matters in Business: Another Market Segment for Writers

Why Storytelling Matters in Business: Another Market Segment for Writers

Life is emotional. So is business, whether you want to admit it or not. Sure, you might not be able to cry at your desk everyday or throw temper tantrums in the break room, but emotions do come into play in business.

Organizations use emotion to make you care about their products, services, and causes. They use it as a form of persuasion, which is the art of making you desire something you might not otherwise.

Breaking Through the Resistance: A Writer’s Constant Challenge (Part 2 of 2)

Breaking Through the Resistance: A Writer’s Constant Challenge (Part 2 of 2)

Not writing happens more than writing. Staring at the blank page. Struggling to get motivation to put words on the screen. We have all felt that way. It’s common. Its cause? Resistance.

Resistance keeps writers from writing. It stands in the way of every type of creative endeavor, whether its a painter who isn’t wielding her brush or a writer avoiding the page. It is the single biggest challenge in creating things that are whole and realized and finished.

Adapting The Rule of Six for Novelists (Part 1 of 2)

Adapting The Rule of Six for Novelists (Part 1 of 2)

The Rule of Six is a list of the six most important types of cuts a film editor should make, according to famed film editor Walter Murch in his book, In the Blink of an Eye. Though written for film editors, his suggestions make sense for novelists too.

Elevating Your Writing No Matter the Form (Part 2 of 2)

Elevating Your Writing No Matter the Form (Part 2 of 2)

Writing should inspire, motivate, educate, illuminate, inform, persuade, and engage. To do this, it has to rise above the basics and become something more.

In the first part in this series, we explored two introductions used in the television series The West Wing as an example of how to elevate writing from the barely functional to an art. Now let’s break down some practical steps you can take to elevate your writing.

Ten ways to improve your writing:

Elevating Your Writing No Matter the Form (Part 1 of 2)

Elevating Your Writing No Matter the Form (Part 1 of 2)

The term “writing” covers a wide range of acts. There is the Great American Novel and direct mail flyers. Ad copy and speeches. Screenplays and novels. Radio scripts and web content. Being able to put words on a page takes many forms, not all of them lofty or noble. Sometimes all you need is a well-crafted email or text. That is the wonder of writing and human communication. It comes in all forms.

No, the problem is not with the form writing takes, but with the mindset many writers have when faced with what many consider “pedestrian” work. Their minds become pedestrian, bland, complacent, and it doesn’t have to be that way. You can elevate your writing no matter what form it takes, whether it’s the opening of your manuscript or a simple introduction. Here’s an example of what I mean.

Timing, Pacing, & Tension: What Are They and How Are They Different? (Part 1 of 3)

Timing, Pacing, & Tension: What Are They and How Are They Different? (Part 1 of 3)

Everyone knows that comedy is all about timing. A joke succeeds when the punch line is delivered at just the right moment. As they say, “Timing is everything.” But what does that mean in terms of writing a novel or longer form of storytelling? How do you manage timing? And how does it differ from duration and pacing? How does it influence tension? Those are the questions we are going to tackle in this short series.

Writing the Emotional Arc (Part 2 of 2)

Writing the Emotional Arc (Part 2 of 2)

A story hinges on the inciting incident—the event that pushes a protagonist outside of her status quo and forces her to move in a new direction. The inciting incident presents a choice: to stay and deal with the new circumstances or to move beyond what’s comfortable to go after what the protagonist really wants, facing new challenges along the way. It really isn’t a choice since it wouldn’t be much of a story if the protagonist stayed where she was. Thus, the inciting incident starts the journey.

Writing the Emotional Arc (Part 1 of 2)

Writing the Emotional Arc (Part 1 of 2)

The point of any story is to engage the audience or reader. It’s why the hook is so important; it’s the part of the story that grabs the readers’ attention and makes them want to know what happens next. But the ultimate goal is to make your readers’ care about what they are reading or watching.

Finding Work as a Freelance Writer

Finding Work as a Freelance Writer

This past year has been a tough one for everyone. The lockdowns have torn up our economy and caused many creatives to lose their livelihoods. Contracts dried up, assignments faltered, and paychecks disappeared. But there is hope.

Life as a freelancer has its challenges, now more than ever, which is why it helps to be creative in finding solutions. Now is not the time to stick to the usual.

Work is out there. Here are a dozen places to try to find it:

Location Scouting—What Writers Can Learn from Filmmakers

Location Scouting—What Writers Can Learn from Filmmakers

One of the first steps in pre-production, after developing a treatment and writing the screenplay, is figuring out where you can shoot the script. Where can you get those beautiful establishing shots and find sets to bring the story to life? Where in the world can you find places that look like what’s described in the screenplay or novel it is based upon?

Research: Looking Beyond the Surface

Research: Looking Beyond the Surface

Research should reveal more than simple fact. It can offer insights into a time period, an event, a moment. It can reveal hidden depths. The trick is to use these insights to create more textured and layered characters.

Research: Determining How Much You Need

Research: Determining How Much You Need

The following is an excerpt from my upcoming book on Research for Writers:

There are different levels of research: cursory understanding, basic competence, proficiency and mastery.

What Do You Do for a Living? A Writer’s Response

What Do You Do for a Living? A Writer’s Response

There are conversations in life that we expect. Ubiquitous questions we all encounter from “What’s your name?” to “Where are you from?” and “What do you do for a living?”

While, being a military brat, I struggle with the second question, it is that last question that gives me pause. What do I do? Do I cop to it or play it down? The first thing that pops in my brain is “What should I say?”

Writing for Free: Is It Ever a Good Idea? (Part 2 of 2)

Writing for Free: Is It Ever a Good Idea? (Part 2 of 2)

This two-part series began with the reasons you might choose to write for free. The key word in that sentence was choose. It is fine if it is your decision to provide your talents to a project without payment. But that is not always the case.

Here Are Some Reasons When It Does Not Make Sense to Write for Free:

Writing for Free: Is It Ever a Good Idea?

Writing for Free: Is It Ever a Good Idea?

There is a pervasive idea in freelancing that writing for free is a legitimate avenue to finding paying work. In downturn economies and tough times, like trying to find work during a pandemic, taking any assignment sounds better than turning one down, even if the assignment is on spec or without pay. Don’t fall prey to this idea. It is false.

12 Steps for Freelancers to Start the Year Off Right

12 Steps for Freelancers to Start the Year Off Right

It’s a new year, finally, and, despite coming off a rocky year, there is room for hope and anticipation for the year ahead. This pandemic will pass and life will resume. It always does. Eventually.

Work will resume too. I know many of us (me included) took a beating last year, losing contracts, work, and facing grim prospects. But this too will change. All you need is patience and some preparation so you’re ready to grab opportunities as they appear. And they will appear. Trust me.

A New Year’s Message for Writers

A New Year’s Message for Writers

There is no question this has been a tough year for us all. The pandemic. The riots. The unrest. The economic uncertainty. The losses. There have been so many pressures and demands with little relief in sight.

Holiday Gift Giving

Holiday Gift Giving

Every year during the holiday season, I have offered up a list of gifts worthy of any writer on your holiday list, or for yourself, should you be the type to reward yourself with a treat at the end of the year. This year, with the tough times and pandemic, I have chosen a different route.

Common Reasons for Not Writing and Ways to Circumvent Them (Part 1 of 4)

Common Reasons for Not Writing and Ways to Circumvent Them (Part 1 of 4)

There are many reasons writers come up with for not writing. It’s amazing how many reasons there can be, ranging from being exhausted to needing to defrost the freezer to the absolute crisis of not having any caffeine in the house. As long as there are excuses to use, writers will find them. Heck, we’re the ones who make them excuses up in the first place. We’re writers! But excuses are not going to get your novel finished or get that client project turned in on time.

There are four major categories for these excuses: no energy, no motivation, no ideas and no focus. I’m going to tackle each one and offer solutions to overcoming your particular brand of excuse. First up: No Energy.

Write Faster (Part 2 of 2)

Write Faster (Part 2 of 2)

Last week, we talked about ways to write faster. The blog was filled with tips and tricks to get those 50k words for NaNoWriMo down more quickly. Though the tricks will work for any project at any time.

Writing faster is a valuable skill. As a professional writer, I know the faster I am able to write, the more I can produce, which means more money. Of course, faster can’t be more important than good, when it comes to clients. When it comes to first drafts, the words matter more. Get them down as fast as possible. You can worry about the quality later.

Write Faster (Part 1 of 2)

Write Faster (Part 1 of 2)

With NaNoWriMo in full swing, writing faster is a valuable skill. The good news is that it isn’t that hard to rack up words a bit faster than you usually do. Here is the first round of tips to get closer to that 50k word goal.

Choosing to Do NaNoWriMo: Seven Reasons to Join

Choosing to Do NaNoWriMo: Seven Reasons to Join

Next month is NaNoWriMo: the National Novel Writing Month. It’s a time when writers around the world hunker down to write 50 thousand words on a novel in a single month. It’s not a small endeavor. So why do it?

Here are my top seven benefits to you from choosing to join NaNoWriMo:

Rules of Writing: What You Need to Know

Rules of Writing: What You Need to Know

There are no rules.

Just kidding. Of course there are rules. There are rules of grammar, plot, structure, etiquette and all manner of other aspects of writing and publishing. The problem is there isn’t one, single set of rules. There are many.

Finding Time to Write

Finding Time to Write

It doesn’t matter if we’re always at home now or not, it’s always hard to find time to write. There are too many distractions: paying work, family, home improvement projects, laundry, dishes, dinner, Netflix, YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram, piles of books. So many lovely excuses keeping you from the page. Heck, that blank page is often enough to prompt bouts of irrational cleaning. Anything instead of doing the work.

It’s not always about finding the time. It’s about creating the right mindset so you want to write and then carving out time to do just that.

Writing Breaks Are Healthy (Part 2 of 2)

Writing Breaks Are Healthy (Part 2 of 2)

Writing breaks are healthy for every writer. That’s why Figments & Fables is on a two-week break. We will be back next week with new content. Until we return, we invite you to revisit some older blogs:

Writing Breaks Are Healthy (Part 1 of 2)

Writing Breaks Are Healthy (Part 1 of 2)

Coming up with ideas, researching them and then writing useful blogs takes time and energy. For the past few years, I have poured myself into this task without taking any breaks. But the time has come. Figments & Fables will be on break for the next two weeks. While we are away, check out some of our blog series (I will post the first link in each series):

How to Recognize Good Writing

How to Recognize Good Writing

When is good writing good writing? Is it a sentence or paragraph that hooks the reader? It is laud the ability to craft a gorgeous sentence no matter what? Or does noticing that great passage distract from the reading experience?


I think we can all agree there are books that amaze us with their prose and those that challenge us with their awkward phrasing and clunky pacing. It’s a question of quality. We know what works and what doesn’t on a visceral level. But how do we define it? And, more importantly, how do we make sure we’re on the right side of that line with our writing?

Getting Freelance Writing Jobs Even During COVID-19 (Part 1 of 3)

Getting Freelance Writing Jobs Even During COVID-19 (Part 1 of 3)

Writers find work in a variety of ways, dictated mostly by experience level and type of writing. In the nonfiction world, this may mean publications, blogs, websites, corporations, nonprofits, agencies, production houses, and more. This makes it more difficult to answer the question: how do I find work, especially during a pandemic when so many are out of work or are operating at lower capacity? Even given these challenges, there are ways to boost your chances, no matter your skill set or level.

A Bit of a Word Rant

A Bit of a Word Rant


Like the rest of the pandemic-trapped world, I’m at home social distancing and watching way too much HGTV. It has inspired me to launch a few home improvement projects and write this blog, which is admittedly more of a rant. Sorry. Though I think I do make some good points about using the right word and why that’s important, so please read through the rant to the end. It gets better. And thanks for letting me get this off my chest.

The Power of Storytelling

The Power of Storytelling

In this world of quarantine and social distancing, the only escape we have left is story-based. Whether you choose to open a book, lose yourself in a movie, or tackle the latest video game story mode, it is the story that draws us in and lets us forget about our worries for a while.

Top 12 Mistakes I’ve Made in My Career

Top 12 Mistakes I’ve Made in My Career

Being a freelance writer is a tough gig. Not because of the writing, though that has its own difficulties, but because of the business side of things. Through the many years I’ve been doing this, I have learned some tough lessons. Here are my top 12:

12 Truths About Writing

12 Truths About Writing

There are so many blogs out there about writing and they all offer advice. Some of them contain sound advice and some are so vague they barely count as helpful. My intent at Figments & Fables is to share advice and tips that will help someone have a real career, whether in fiction or nonfiction. If I ever stray in this goal, feel free to nudge me back on course.

Writing Is Easy, Right?

Writing Is Easy, Right?

We all know that writing is easy, “All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed” according to Ernest Hemingway. And that is true to a point. But it isn’t the whole truth. Writing is easy and hard, but it’s also exciting, creative, playful, and relaxing. It feeds the soul and can be magical.

Wants vs. Needs (Part 4 of 4)

Wants vs. Needs (Part 4 of 4)

Abraham Maslow identified human needs in his Hierarchy of Needs (as described in the last blog). But later in his career, he expanded his hierarchy to include Cognitive and Aesthetic Needs (both of which fall under Esteem Needs) and Transcendence Needs that served as the final level—the level to which we all aspire once our Deficiency Needs are met.

Wants vs. Needs (Part 2 of 4)

Wants vs. Needs (Part 2 of 4)

In the first blog in this series, we explored what wants and needs are in their most basic form. Now we’ll look at how they can be used to design plot and characters. [Warning: This blog includes spoilers for some novels, so if you have not read the books or seen the movies, be forewarned.]

Character Wants vs. Needs (Part 1 of 4)

Character Wants vs. Needs (Part 1 of 4)

Stories are about character. Sure, you can have an action film with little more than special effects and plot (think Transformers), but those kinds of stories have little emotional impact. They are fun while you’re watching them, but they don’t linger. They don’t make the audience think. Or feel. For those reactions, you need characters who want things and need things.

Wants and Needs are two elements that drive stories. They determine plot and character. Story and resolution.

Introducing Characters (Part 4 of 4)

Introducing Characters (Part 4 of 4)

This is the final blog in the How to Introduce a Character series. In the first three blogs, we touched on the basics, tips on how to introduce characters, and examples from both films and books. This blog will complete the examples and ways to introduce a character, whether main or side.

Introducing Characters (Part 3 of 4)

Introducing Characters (Part 3 of 4)

In the previous two blogs, we looked at some basic advice and criteria for introducing characters—the lifeblood of any story. Now we’re going to go deeper and look at various examples of the ways in which you can bring your character to life the first time you introduce them to your reader. As you can imagine, this is a huge topic, so these examples will be broken into two blogs to finish out this series on character introductions. Now to begin…

Ways to introduce characters:

Introducing Characters (Part 2 of 4)

Introducing Characters (Part 2 of 4)

The first blog of this series laid the foundation for character introductions. Now we’re going to go deeper into ways to introduce characters. The final two blogs in this series will explore each type of introduction with specific examples and explanations.

Bringing your characters to life begins with the introduction, no matter whether it’s in fiction or film, it’s how you choose to begin that matters. There are many options:

Introducing Characters (Part 1 of 4)

Introducing Characters (Part 1 of 4)

Characters make stories. They are why we read. They are how we escape into someone else’s life, experience trials foreign to our own. They provide inspiration to keep going during struggles. Getting to know them helps us learn and feel. They change us.

Characters are why we care. They are why we keep turning pages and stay glued to the screen.

Resources for Writers (for general use and during COVID-19)

Resources for Writers (for general use and during COVID-19)

Never before has the Internet been so important. Heaven help us if wifi goes down. We might not make it.

Sequestered in our homes, it’s books, movies, and streaming content that keeps us going. That is, when we’re not working out, cooking or obsessing about flour, yeast or paper products. But even YouTube can let us down now and then. Our feeds get gunked up with cat videos and before we know it, we’re down the rabbit hole never to be seen again.

Well, here are some links to help you stay on track, even if you are still sitting on the couch:

Why Writing Is Important, Especially Now

Why Writing Is Important, Especially Now

I was talking with someone recently who was despondent because she felt her writing no longer held meaning in light of what was happening in the world around us. I understand how someone might feel like that. We’re not on the front lines. We’re not putting our lives at risk sitting in front of a blank page. It’s an easy assumption to make, but an erroneous one.

Writing in a Time of Coronavirus

Writing in a Time of Coronavirus

Across the country, we are hunkering in our houses, apartments, condos, and yurts hiding from an invisible pathogen intent on causing harm. We’re closed off from others, forced into an isolated existence. The kids are home. Shops closed. Parks cordoned off. It feels like a different world than it did a month ago and it looks like it’s going to get worse before it gets better.

As writers, it is up to us to capture this time in words. It’s time to keep a journal. Take a moment each day to write down what is happening and how it makes you feel. Take the shock, worry, anxiety, anger, fear, compassion, sadness and grief we all feel and commit them to the page. Describe what is happening—all of it. The boredom, the loneliness, and the obsession for toilet paper. These are the parts of the pandemic that are human. They are the emotions that define this time. It is also where you will find story and character.

Tips for Working from Home (Part 2 of 2)

Tips for Working from Home (Part 2 of 2)

In the last blog, I shared tips for working at home. In this age of COVID-19, more people are self-isolating and working from home than ever before. But it’s nothing new for freelance and independent writers. We always work from home, but that doesn’t make it easy, especially at first.

After two decades, I have come up with some tips for making the transition from a traditional work environment to a solo venture. Look for the first set of tips in the previous blog. Here are the rest of my tips for surviving a work-at-home situation:

Tips for Working from Home (Part 1 of 2)

Tips for Working from Home (Part 1 of 2)

COVID-19 has changed the way the world works. People are self-isolating and working from home in vast numbers. But working from home is nothing new for freelance and independent writers. We always work from home, or a cafe, a plane, the park. It’s part of the job description.

After two decades, I have come up with some tips for making the transition from a traditional work environment to a solo venture a bit easier. Here are my best tips for surviving a work-at-home situation:

Writing Lessons: Learning the Craft

Writing Lessons: Learning the Craft

There’s so much info available about writing—blogs, videos, classes, lectures, workshops, conferences, books. It’s easier now than ever to learn more about the craft and that’s amazing. It’s essential to work on your skills, to learn how grammar, structure and mechanics work in writing, and how to improve the other elements of good fiction and creative nonfiction.

But (there had to be a but, right?)…

My Top 12 Truths about Writing

My Top 12 Truths about Writing

There are so many blogs out there about writing and they all offer advice. Some of them contain sound advice and some are so vague they barely count as helpful. My intent is to share advice and tips that will help someone have a real career in this business, whether in fiction or nonfiction. If I ever stray in this goal, feel free to nudge me back on course.

Discipline for Writers: Practical Habits to Develop (Part 4 of 4)

Discipline for Writers: Practical Habits to Develop (Part 4 of 4)

Discipline is key to succeeding as a writer. This series has explored why discipline matters, how to embrace a discipline mindset and offered tips for developing discipline by focusing on you and your habits. This blog finished the series by looking at external things you can do to develop better a writing discipline.

Discipline for Writers: Tips for Handling Emotional & Physical Barriers (Part 3 of 4)

Discipline for Writers: Tips for Handling Emotional & Physical Barriers (Part 3 of 4)

There are reasons why discipline is difficult for creative people. We tend to be free spirits who eschew structure. The very act of creating is rebellious. It’s a breaking free of the rules and expectations. It’s a more untethered life than the typical nine-to-five affords. It is at its heart an emotional act. On the other hand, discipline is based in thought and rationale. It’s not surprising these two opposites clash. But there are ways to change that.

Discipline for Writers: Changing Your Mindset (Part 2 of 4)

Discipline for Writers: Changing Your Mindset (Part 2 of 4)

Habits are mental. They are choices you make every day—choices that require discipline. Yes, that D word that carries some negative connotations. But though discipline isn’t easy to develop, it is far from a dirty word. Rather it is a commitment. Dedication to a dream combined with the will to execute.

This blog will focus on ways to embrace discipline as a writer.

Discipline for Writers: Why It Matters (Part 1 of 4)

Discipline for Writers: Why It Matters (Part 1 of 4)

Writing is a creative pursuit. It isn’t like traditional, non-creative, jobs where you punch a clock and pick up a paycheck. There’s no boss to report to or inbox to tackle. It’s less structured than all that. And not. Not if you want to survive.

Tricks to Help Writers Stop Procrastinating

Tricks to Help Writers Stop Procrastinating

We’ve all been there—desperately searching for any task to be completed other than writing. There’s nothing like staring at a blank page to make laundry, cleaning the bathroom, mopping or taking out the trash look so good.

Meet procrastination—the habit that keeps writers from writing. It’s what forces us down the rabbit hole of YouTube and what has us launching Netflix instead of working on our pages. It’s why we flee from that insistent cursor that waits for words to pour from our fingers.

Resolutions for Writers (Part 2 of 2)

Resolutions for Writers (Part 2 of 2)

’Tis the season for resolutions. In Part I of this two-part series, we talked about ways to learn, stretch your skills, connect, be kind to yourself and commit to reading and writing in the new year. Below are more resolutions to take up in your pursuit of writing.

Resolutions for Writers (Part 1 of 2)

Resolutions for Writers (Part 1 of 2)

Every year, millions set resolutions for the coming year. Months, weeks, days, and sometimes even hours, later those resolutions fail. There is something in our minds that rebel against change, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try forming new habits. In fact, it is that resistance that demands we keep trying.

NaNo: Now What? (Part 2 of 4)

NaNo: Now What? (Part 2 of 4)

NaNoWriMo is over. So what now? This series lays out a game plan for revising your manuscript. The first blog covered the initial steps to take. Now we’re moving on to editing, starting large and moving toward the smaller details as we go. The final blog will cover the final steps of manuscript preparation.

NaNo: Now What? (Part 1 of 4)

NaNo: Now What? (Part 1 of 4)

You’ve made it. It’s finally December and NaNoWriMo is over. You did it. Or you did something. It doesn’t matter whether you reached your goal or fell a bit short. Just because NaNoWriMo is done doesn’t mean you are. There are still many things left to do if you want to turn your words into something finished.

Writing Rules & Instincts

Writing Rules & Instincts

There’s a writing axiom that states everyone should learn the rules before they break them. I happen to agree with this rule. But I also believe in breaking rules. It’s a tenuous position for a blogger who focuses on how to write. Today’s blog is about what I truly believe.

Trust your instincts.

Tension: Breaking Down Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Tension: Breaking Down Goldilocks and the Three Bears

The past few blogs we’ve focused on complications, tension and raising the stakes. Now we’re going to look at how that plays out by breaking down a fairy tale. We’ll begin with Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

The story typically starts out with the bears discovering their porridge is too hot and deciding to go for a walk, leaving their home unoccupied. I say typically starts out because there are many versions of this tale, each with its own quirks and variances. But let’s work with this opening as the hook. Talking bears who live in a house and eat porridge. Check. I want to read that.

Tension: Raising the Stakes

Tension: Raising the Stakes

This blog examines the types of stakes you can use to raise tension to its highest levels.

A good place to begin is with some questions:

What happens if the protagonist fails?
What is at stake? Personally? Publicly? Morally?
Why can’t your protagonist just walk away?

Adding Tension to Your Story

Adding Tension to Your Story

Tension is a key element in storytelling. It’s that strain and uncertainty that hooks the reader. What’s making that creaking sound? Will the hero save the world? Can the kidnapped boy escape before the villain returns? Will the heroine ever recover from the spell the witch cast or is she doomed forever?

Putting your characters in peril pulls your reader into the story and makes it interesting. When there’s no tension, stories can feel flat or boring. But how do you add tension to a story?

How to Succeed at NaNoWriMo (Part 1 of 2)

How to Succeed at NaNoWriMo (Part 1 of 2)

It’s almost November when hundreds of thousands of writers will take on the challenge of writing 50k words in a single month. It’s not a small undertaking, but one that is easier if you have a plan.

Exposition Explained

Exposition Explained

Exposition is the part that holds stories together, the bit that introduces information the reader needs to know to understand the plot. It’s the detail that cannot be contained within dialogue or action. Exposition is why a story makes sense.

Pocket Writing and NaNoWriMo

Pocket Writing and NaNoWriMo

It’s October and writers everywhere are scrambling to prepare for NaNoWriMo—that one month when dreamers put pen to paper and write. Fifty thousand words in thirty days. It’s a glorious, exhausting plunge into writing that I highly recommend trying.

The trick to NaNoWriMo is to take the motivation you feel during November and experience it throughout the year when it’s back to just you and your words. No fellow writers feeling the pressure. No write-ins or all-nighters with like-minded folks. No common goal for the month.

Five Ways to Establish Context in Your Story

Five Ways to Establish Context in Your Story

Context is everything in stories and in life. In the last blog, we explored the relationship between context and complication. This time, we’re going to examine the ways to establish context within your story.

There are two ways in which context affects story—the context of the plot (or event, in the case of nonfiction) and the context of character.

Using Context and Complication to Strengthen Your Story (Part 1 of 2)

Using Context and Complication to Strengthen Your Story (Part 1 of 2)

Context is the foundation for everything. It colors perception and fact. It changes minds and tugs on emotion. Without context, a story is nothing more than an anecdote floating in space.


Context provides the background, backstory, setting and structure that holds the details of a story together and gives the reader the framework necessary to understand. Without this, the reader cannot know how to feel.

It’s Complicated (Part 2 of 2)

It’s Complicated (Part 2 of 2)

The first part of this two-part series covered the importance of complications and how to test whether the complications you are are adding are within the framework of your story. In this blog, we’re going to look at the different kinds of complications typically found in stories.

There are many ways to add complications in your story. In a romance novel, it might be rival or obstacle that keeps the two main characters apart. In a mystery, it could be a serial killer or a lack of clues. In SciFi, it might be an alien invasion or a dystopian world that oppresses its citizens. The list is limited only by your imagination.

It’s Complicated (Part 1 of 2)

It’s Complicated (Part 1 of 2)

I don’t know many people who don’t lean in when they hear that phrase. “It’s complicated.” Two words that hold the power to intrigue and pique curiosity. They make us click to find out more. They prompt questions and promise a bevy of details. “It’s complicated” might not be a great way to live, but it sure is a good way to tell a story.

Complications make stories. As writers, we understand this. It’s why we cram complications into our stories and keep shoving until our characters can’t take it anymore…and then we add more.

Writing Supplies—Pens and Paper, Oh My!

Writing Supplies—Pens and Paper, Oh My!

I have a problem. I love pens. I own boxes of pens that I rarely use or even look at, but am loathe to throw away, minimalism be damned. They’re pens. It’s like asking me to get rid of books—it’s not going to happen even if they threaten to bury me alive. There is something visceral at work here—the potential of so many words yet to be written. They are there, hovering out of sight, waiting on inspiration. Pens hold that potential. The paper awaits their brilliance. All that’s needed is me.

September rolls around and the sales begin and I find myself grabbing pens and tossing them in my cart. I have to collect them all—pens, pads of paper, highlighters, pencils, erasers. They call to me. Loudly.

The thing is there may be a reason for that temptation.

Sensory Writing: Taste (Part 6 of 6)

Sensory Writing: Taste (Part 6 of 6)

Taste is directly linked to smell. It, like smell, also happens within the body. We have to take in the food in order to taste it. Taste cannot happen passively. It is an active act, a decision. We drink the wine, eat the pizza, and savor the chocolate. As it’s linked to smell, I am going to limit my commentary, but I highly encourage you to include taste in your work.

Sensory Writing: Smell (Part 5 of 6)

Sensory Writing: Smell (Part 5 of 6)

Experts say that smell is the sense most closely related to memory. The one that can transport us in time. It is also the sense I am least able to discuss. I was born without the sense of smell (congenital anosmia). I have not smelled anything in my life. Never will (so please do not ask me to smell things, especially things like ammonia. Been there—done that—can’t smell it).

Sensory Writing: Touch (Part 4 of 6)

Sensory Writing: Touch (Part 4 of 6)

When we’re young, we learn about the world through touch. We put dirt in our mouths, Run our toes through the grass. Embed our hands into the dog’s shiny coat. As we grow, we learn not to touch dirty things and to keep our hands out of our mouths, but we never lose that desire to touch our world—to run our hands over objects of our desire.

Sensory Writing: Sound (Part 3 of 6)

Sensory Writing: Sound (Part 3 of 6)

Hearing is a physical reaction within the eardrum. A vibration that carries meaning. Everything your character hears should do the same. It should resound within the story or characters.

Sensory Writing: Sight (Part 2 of 6)

Sensory Writing: Sight (Part 2 of 6)

Welcome to the Sense Series. The first part was an overview of sensory writing. Now we’ll tackle one sense per week. First up: Sight.

Sight is the most common sense used in writing and the most important. Visual words and phrases bring that world to life. Through words, we recreate the world around us or invent an entirely new world for our reader.

Sensory Writing (Part 1 of 6)

Sensory Writing (Part 1 of 6)

We experience the world through our senses, through what we see, hear, touch, taste and smell. It’s our senses that define our existence, which is why it is imperative to incorporate sensory writing into your work.

Senses take a flat world and transforms it into a fully realized one with depth, texture and vibrancy. All five senses should be integrated into your description somewhere. If your story takes place in the woods, you might talk about the dappled lighting, moist ground, and sounds of the birds and animals moving about. It might smell of wet Earth or decomposing leaves. If your story takes place in a bakery, I would hope there would be talk of scents and tastes—touches of vanilla and chocolate and the feel of warm cookies straight from the oven. The goal is to offer details about your world through the five senses, not just sight and sounds, which are the most easily accessed and obvious.

Truth in Story and Setting

Truth in Story and Setting

As writers, we create the circumstances and context for our characters. We create the world. The setting. The characters themselves. Then we offer it all to our readers with an unspoken promise that the story and characters will be worth their time. This promise is an acknowledgment that we will do our research and write a story that is not full of errors, factual, grammatical or otherwise.

Setting and Set Dressing (Part 3 of 3)

Setting and Set Dressing (Part 3 of 3)

Setting is more than the broad location and time. It is everything contained within that space—the items and props that your characters handle and face.

Setting and Set Dressing (Part 2 of 3)

Setting and Set Dressing (Part 2 of 3)

Setting is an essential element in any story. It provides context and a space for your characters. When wielded properly, it can do more than simply list what your characters can see. It can support every other aspect of your writing.

The last blog covered the basics of setting. Now it’s time to explore ways to use setting to its best advantage.

Setting and Set Dressing (Part 1 of 3)

Setting and Set Dressing (Part 1 of 3)

Story requires place to make it come alive. Writing setting is much like the job of a set designer for the stage or screen. The trick is to discover ways to bring your setting to life. This may mean describing a building, a forest, a living room or some other place where your characters can move about their lives. This is setting. It includes everything from location to descriptions of the dishes on the kitchen table.

Living a Freelance Life

Living a Freelance Life

Living a freelance life has its advantages and disadvantages. Sure, you can write in your pajamas, but you can also be left waiting by the mailbox waiting for that check to arrive so you can pay your mortgage. But you get to be in control of your work and your life.

The benefits will vary depending on the person. What I find an advantage someone else may not, but here is how I see it:

Show Versus Tell: The Case for Showing

Show Versus Tell: The Case for Showing

Show versus Tell is an age old battle for writers. Deciding when to show your world to your readers and when to tell them facts is a balancing act. Good writing requires both styles. In the last blog, we covered when to tell. This blog focuses on showing—the powerhouse of writing.

Showing gives your reader a more immersive experience. It’s the difference between reading a newspaper article and a novel. One gives the facts with a sprinkling of details and description. The other invites the reader to experience the story along with the character. It’s engaging.