Writing is a craft, and as such, learning to write well means taking the time to learn the techniques involved. Just as a potter studies the craft of pottery making, writers must study the craft of writing. This section of our Tips and Techniques deals with the technical aspects of writing. How do we know what should be included in dialogue? Should we record everything a character says—and do so exactly as the character says it? How is dialogue tagged? Should we use creative dialogue tags? How is point of view controlled? Should we use an omniscient narrator? How is a flashback entered and exited without disrupting the flow of a story? Should we use frequent flashbacks? How do we control the pacing of a story? Should we leave our characters mid-action? How much description should we write? Should we describe every character and every setting in detail? How do we use research to make our writing more effective? Should we share everything we know with our reader? How do we foreshadow without breaching viewpoint? Should we hint at things our characters don’t yet know?

Find out the answers to these questions—and many more—in this section in which we discuss some of the techniques of writing effective prose.

“I wanted an objective, hard-lined critique and evaluation of my touted writing ability.  I got what I wanted and so much more…”

~ Emanuel Lucero, Arizona

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