Unmet Expectations
The idea that stories must have an exciting, action-packed beginning is false.
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J.J. Richardson
Oct 15, 20225 min read
Subtlety—Speaking the Real Truth
Subtlety allows readers to think something else is going on, something hiding, something faintly suggested.
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J.J. Richardson
Oct 10, 20228 min read
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.
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J.J. Richardson
Sep 27, 20226 min read
Obsession with Violence
What happens when opposing views come into conflict? That’s when trouble appears.
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J.J. Richardson
May 2, 20224 min read
What's Wrong with Ideal Heroines?
If everything else is idealized in fiction, why can’t women be, also?
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J.J. Richardson
Apr 4, 20226 min read
Sincerity
How can we impart knowledge, wisdom, and kindness to our relatives, friends, neighbors, and coworkers, without sincerity?
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J.J. Richardson
Mar 13, 20225 min read
The Ubiquitous I
A common problem beginning authors have when writing in first person is to overuse the word, “I.”
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J.J. Richardson
Dec 29, 20215 min read
Ideal Pace
To keep a steady pace, you must keep an unsteady pace.
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J.J. Richardson
Dec 19, 20218 min read
All About Copyrights and Patents
I have assembled this summary where all pertinent information regarding copyrights and patents is found.
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J.J. Richardson
Dec 6, 20215 min read
Patient Persuasion
Central to all human interaction
is persuasion.
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J.J. Richardson
Oct 7, 202111 min read
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?
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J.J. Richardson
Jul 28, 20216 min read
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.
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J.J. Richardson
Jun 30, 20215 min read
Stop Asking Me Questions
It's your job as the author to answer questions, not the reader's.
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J.J. Richardson
May 31, 20214 min read
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.
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J.J. Richardson
Apr 6, 20212 min read
The Assumption Mark
The rules of English grammar provide us with question marks, exclamation marks, and quotation marks, but no assumption mark.
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J.J. Richardson
Mar 12, 20213 min read
The Future of Storytelling
Reciting tales has been a part of human life from the earliest discovered cave drawings until the present day.
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J.J. Richardson
Feb 2, 20216 min read
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.
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J.J. Richardson
Jan 5, 20216 min read
How to Make Fiction Magical
A story that is not relatable is of little use to anyone no matter how clearly it is written.
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J.J. Richardson
Dec 8, 20203 min read
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...
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J.J. Richardson
Nov 21, 20202 min read
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.
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J.J. Richardson
Aug 16, 20206 min read
The Contrived Confrontational Argument
If you want your readers to hate your scenes, make every character behave foolishly.
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J.J. Richardson
Aug 10, 202014 min read
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
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J.J. Richardson
Jul 22, 20205 min read
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.
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J.J. Richardson
May 17, 20205 min read
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.
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