“Figure out what kind of story you want to tell and stick to it. Cross too many genre barriers and the booksellers won’t know where to shelve you. Begin as you mean to continue. If you start out with snarky comedy, don’t end up with a chainsaw toting serial killer. Remember the movie Fargo? It was both hysterical and horrific. And confusing. A reader doesn’t like those sorts of surprises. If you’re naturally drawn to dark, angsty tales, don’t try to add humor. If wit fizzes out of you like a shaken soda, don’t try to write a serious story. Stay true to your own voice.”
Visit Emily Bryan’s website. (Emily has 7 pages of writing advice under the WRITE STUFF tab!)
Purchase Emily Byran’s latest release, Stroke of Genius
Great tip, Emily! It’s so good that you actually have 7 pages of writing advice on your website. How helpful!
I’ve been given lots of writing help over the years by critique partners and writing groups. Now it’s my turn to give back. Hope you find my Write Stuff pages helpful!