Category Archives: Story Elements

Monday Advice from Editors and Agents: A different way to approach setting a scene

Posted on December 9, 2013 by Donna Maloy, Author

This month’s tip comes from Julia Wells, editor of The Things We Did for Love by Natasha Farrant. The Remedy for Too Much Description Julia’s advice reflects the position of most industry professionals: Use action and dialogue, not description, to … Continue reading →

Posted in Description, Description, Setting, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Monday Advice from Agents and Editors: Dress Your Manuscript in Layers

Posted on December 4, 2012 by Donna Maloy, Author

No, not with jackets and sweaters. With crucial elements of STORY. Last month, Molly Jaffa of Folio Literary Management chatted with the Young Adult online chapter of Romance Writers of America. She had lots of interesting information for new writers … Continue reading →

Posted in Issues, Layering, Queries and Pitches | 1 Comment

Riffing on Fairy Tales: 25 Great Retellings

Posted on August 23, 2012 by Donna Maloy, Author

Where do you get your ideas? Every author gets asked that question after every book. Sometimes there is no easy answer. A character or a scene will suddenly appear and then a story weaves its way around until it becomes … Continue reading →

Posted in Fairy Tales, Fairy Tales, Retellings, Story ideas | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

It’s not about the couch

Posted on July 25, 2012 by Donna Maloy, Author

Last year, I attended a local writers group. The speaker, published author Kimberly Frost, spoke on “Description and Dialogue”. Kimberly is a funny, witty writer who speaks faster than humanly possible. But she left us with a lot of great … Continue reading →

Posted in Genre elements, Genre recipes, Recipe, Story Elements, Sweet and Sour with Peach Rice | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment