Subtlety—Speaking the Real Truth
With subtlety, readers begin to think something else, something hiding, something faintly suggested might be happening.
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J.J. Richardson
- Oct 10
- 8 min
Description: Up-close and Personal
Beginning writers must learn that their readers can’t visualize what the author sees and feels unless the author tells them.
140
J.J. Richardson
- Sep 27
- 6 min
Obsession with Violence
What happens when opposing views come into conflict? That’s when trouble appears.
501
J.J. Richardson
- May 2
- 4 min
What's Wrong with Ideal Heroines?
If everything else is idealized in fiction, why can’t women be, also?
380
J.J. Richardson
- Apr 4
- 6 min
Sincerity
How can we impart knowledge, wisdom, and kindness to our relatives, friends, neighbors, and coworkers, without sincerity?
432
J.J. Richardson
- Mar 13
- 5 min
The Ubiquitous I
A common problem beginning authors have when writing in first person is to overuse the word, “I.”
371
J.J. Richardson
- Dec 19, 2021
- 7 min
All About Copyrights and Patents
I have assembled this summary where all pertinent information regarding copyrights and patents is found.
470
J.J. Richardson
- Oct 7, 2021
- 10 min
Top-10 Paragraphs
Why are there numerous sites devoted to Top-10 Movies, Top-10 Fiction Books, and Top-10 NFL players, but none for Top-10 Paragraphs?
2092
J.J. Richardson
- Jul 28, 2021
- 5 min
Tantrum Movies
It’s a tragedy when a moviemaker causes the story’s theme to become the story itself and dominate over the plot like a pack of wolves.
652
J.J. Richardson
- Jun 30, 2021
- 4 min
Stop Asking Me Questions
If you ask your readers too many questions, they may end up feeling let down or even abandoned.
480
J.J. Richardson
- May 31, 2021
- 4 min
How to Get My Characters to Act
Few articles are written about how to get fictional characters to act. This article explains how to do it.
300
J.J. Richardson
- Mar 12, 2021
- 3 min
The Future of Storytelling
Reciting tales has been a part of human life from the earliest discovered cave drawings until the present day.
430
J.J. Richardson
- Feb 2, 2021
- 6 min
A Brief History of Science Fiction
I offer only the fun bits. Enough for you to be popular at parties, but not sufficient to pass a college course in literature.
610
J.J. Richardson
- Jan 5, 2021
- 6 min
How to Make Fiction Magical
A story that is not relatable is of little use to anyone no matter how clearly it is written.
502
J.J. Richardson
- Dec 8, 2020
- 3 min
Don't Make Me Ask Why
Critiquing other people’s manuscripts of fictional works is fun for me because I start off with a declaration saying, “My comments are my...
450
J.J. Richardson
- Nov 21, 2020
- 2 min
We've Talked About This
When I’m reading a story, and one character says to another, “We’ve talked about this,” my mind is thrown from the story.
871
J.J. Richardson
- Aug 16, 2020
- 6 min
The Contrived Confrontational Argument
If you want your readers to hate your scenes, make every character behave foolishly.
480
J.J. Richardson
- Aug 10, 2020
- 12 min
Why Don't Horror Movies End?
If you’ve spent any time studying the rules of writing fiction, you’ll know that stories must have a beginning, a middle, and an end. Howeve
1100
J.J. Richardson
- Jul 22, 2020
- 5 min
Top-7 Villains
Why am I having difficulty picking ten villains? I believe it's because fiction must be entertaining, and that includes its villains.
720
J.J. Richardson
- May 17, 2020
- 4 min
Top-10 Movies
My twenty-one-year-old son asked me to pick my ten favorite movies of all time. He didn’t tell me why, so I cannot tell you the reason.
7040
J.J. Richardson
- Feb 19, 2020
- 5 min
Slippery Smooth Writing
If you accelerate or decelerate unevenly while driving a vehicle, your passengers will feel jerked around. Don’t jerk your passengers.
730
J.J. Richardson
- Feb 16, 2020
- 5 min
Unmoving Movie Trailers
The last forty times my wife and I watched movie trailers at a theater, she whispers to me, “They’ve shown too much.”
420