Nathan Bransford - The Forums

What writers can learn from cyclists: it doesn't get easier, you just go faster.

Thought this was a fun topic for a Friday!

~Nicole

Maximizing your "non-magical" characters.

All you fellow fantasy writers, don't just let your normal human characters fade into the background. Give them some pizazz and chances are your talented MCs will stand out more, too.

The link's below...

Hi John, Interesting section - I kind of like the down-on-his-luck MC. It has an underlying redemptive quality that intrigues me. However, I think you could make this opening even more engaging by tightening in a few areas where it felt repetitive. My line-by-line is below. Hope this helps and good ...

A couple new topics for ya this week...

Harnessing the muse: So you've got your big book idea down, but how do you find that specific inspiration you need to get through the next chapter?

The Bear Necessities: What writing utensils can you not live without?

How exciting! Major congrats to you. The others have had really great suggestions already - here are a few more you might want to consider: Brainstorm local media options Does your daily paper have a book reporter? Is there an opportunity for an author profile in a regional lifestyle magazine? Does ...

JES, The others are right that it varies a lot by region, by style, by photographer, etc. But I'll see what I can do to give you a ballpark idea - I work in PR for my day job and we do a lot of photo shoots for clients. Most photographers will charge by the hour for any given photo session, and most...

SariBelle, This sounds like it could be a great story! Overall, I think you can make the query more compelling by clearing up a few questions before you worry too much about length. Once you've nailed the flow, you can focus on tightening it. My comments are below. Good luck! Dear [Agent], I am a re...

I think you have a decent foundation here and need to hone in on specifics to really make it stand out. - The first paragraph seems overly wordy, and the 3rd and 4th sentences repeat the same information. You could sum up the entire paragraph by simply saying "Maria Black is a phoenix who wants...

Cool concept! Take a closer look at the stakes you want to create for your protagonist - by the way, do you want the protag to be the mad scientist or one of your Aegis soldiers? I could see it going either way. Maybe these questions will help spark some inspiration: - What if the scientist DID find...

I have to weigh in on the side of Packer love! Sitting here in Milwaukee, this is about as much excitement as we get in the middle of winter. :)

The Steelers are gonna be tough. Should be a great game!

Hi Jessica, To answer your specific questions: I think you can increase the tension by streamlining your action. You create a subtle tension, but it feels like it's just kind of shimmering in the corners. I think you can increase it. You can probably delete some of the specific actions and reactions...

Nice work! I really enjoyed the image you painted of an autumn London evening. Here's my biggest hang up: Your MC (you) starts out seeming pretty confident ("I'm here to see the prince," combat boots, having the license ready in her hands, talking like she belongs there, etc.), and then sh...

Hi Mike - thanks for sharing your examples. I agree with Sierra - we need more feeling and sensation here. See Polymath's excellent example of close narration. While you have the step-by-step framework of the scene, you haven't yet brought in the actual mood of this rather desperate situation. What ...

This is a nice start - I like the building tension. My line-by-line marks a few lingering inconsistencies that pulled me out of the story. Fix those, and I think you'll be on your way to an even stronger opening! The light overhead was too bright. She twisted over in her half-sleep state, trying to ...

Nice start! You have an interesting idea, and I think your voice is beginning to come through in the query. I agree with Meredith that you can afford the add a few more lines of explanation. My line-by-line is below. Good luck! Twelve-year-old Heidi Meyers wants nothing more than to have fun fooling...