The Tool-Kit: The Fundamental Tools and Skills
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PSYCHIC DISTANCE: what it is and how to use it : also called narrative distance; an extraordinarily useful way of thinking, which is responsible for more lightbulb moments in my students than everything else put together.
SHOWING AND TELLING: the basics : a newly revised and updated post about how to use both showing and telling to make your story do everything you want it to do.
HOW SHOWING AND TELLING CO-OPERATE : why you need both, and how they work together
HOW TO TELL, AND STILL SHOW : how to get on with the story without sacrificing vividness
THE REAL SIXTH SENSE : writing uses all SIX of your senses - here's how.
PAST AND PRESENT TENSE : the pros and cons of both : the different issues that arise with first and third person for each tense, and why the new creative writing orthodoxy is wrong
‘HAD HAD’ AND OTHER TENSE MOMENTS : why getting the hang of past and present perfective can help your writing
WRITE YOUR FIRST NOVEL : the full series began in March 2020 and it's intended for writers who would love to write a novel but find the prospect daunting, or just don't know where to start.
PINPOINT YOUR PROBLEM : eight classic developmental and diagnostic tools for your story
