How to Write a Good Story

Advice from Cliff Pickover (I)

ADVICE FROM CLIFF PICKOVER (I)

Clifford A. Pickover received his Ph.D. from Yale University and is the author of 40 highly-acclaimed books on such topics as computers, art, religion, mathematics, black holes, human intelligence, time travel, and alien life. His web site, Pickover.com, has received millions of visits.

First, buy a National Geographic magazine. Page through it and select a setting. Look at the photos to help you create vivid descriptions. Look at each photo, and become immersed in each photo. Dive into it. Try to smell the scents. Listen to the sounds. Feel the sand beneath your toes, the water lapping at your feet. The cry of the gulls. In the distance, I hear the laughter of a little girl. Oh God, what's that I see in the seaweed beneath my feet? (Now, read more below....) 

1. Show Not Tell

It's better to show through a character's actions than "tell" by having the narrator describe. Please do not "tell."

Example 1: "Garth became nervous" is "telling." It is better to "show" with: "Garth's hands trembled."

Example 2: "Garth did not want to go down the hall with the Major" is "telling." It is better to "show" with: "What?" Garth said. "There's no way in hell I'm going with you!"

2. Body Movement

Occasional reference to body movement and scene interaction is important so that characters are not disembodied talking heads. It's also important to occasionally use body movement before a person talks, in order to establish who is talking.

Example: "When are you going to leave for France?" John asked. 

could be cast as: John took a slow breath. "When are you going to leave for France?" 

(Many times beginning authors make it hard to figure out who is talking, but a quick reference to body movement before the speaker speaks makes it all clear.)

3. Short Better Than Long

In real life, people often talk in short sentences and phrases, rather than in long drawn-out sentences with big words. Another dialog tip: use contractions often. For example, a character may be more apt to say "I'll" than "I will."

4. Break the Dialog

Always insert a "he said" or "she said" as early as possible into a line of dialog (if a "he said" is even needed at all).

Example:

Never do: "Yes, I will kill him, but not until you buy the peaches for dinner," he said.

Instead do: "Yes," he said, "I will kill him, but not until you buy the peaches for dinner."

5. Use Active Voice

Don't say: "The paper was placed on the wall by the doctor." Use active voice: "The doctor placed the paper on the wall."

6. Avoid Omniscient Narrator

Books have more immediacy if you stay within one character's head and therefore the narrator does not have knowledge of what other people are thinking. For example, if you are in Jake's head, we are in Jake's head for most of the book. We can't suddenly know how Melinda is feeling. Jake doesn't read her mind. We can suggest how she feels through Jake's opinions and what he sees and hears, and what she says and does. (Some people use an omniscient narrator, but the best books avoid it.)

7. Don't Rush The Scene

If a scene sounds rushed, with too little attention to detail and texture, then more words are needed to draw out the action and suspense.