Category Archives: writing craft

Degrees of Suckitude

Posted on September 14, 2011 by Victoria Janssen

I was recently discussing a story-in-progress with someone. I ventured to hope that it didn’t suck. I was told there was no way it could suck, given excerpts she had seen. Au contraire! There are degrees of suckitude. (That is … Continue reading →

Posted in writing craft, writing process | 6 Comments

Line Editing: Specific Examples

Posted on September 5, 2011 by Victoria Janssen

I took these examples of revisions from a story I’m still working on. The first version is dated August 15, 2010. The second version is dated February 26, 2011. Between those two versions, I began changing this piece from a … Continue reading →

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Five Tips for Writing Erotica

Posted on August 15, 2011 by Victoria Janssen

Needless to say these aren’t the only five things to keep in mind when writing erotica. And these five things aren’t always going to be applicable. They can be useful on many occasions, however. 1. You don’t need to show … Continue reading →

Posted in erotica, writing craft | 2 Comments

Size Does Matter

Posted on August 10, 2011 by Victoria Janssen

The piece I’m currently writing is meant to be about 15,000 words. It’s been an interesting experience so far. I’m learning a lot about writing at this length. You see, I have written many short stories, almost all of them … Continue reading →

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Critiquing Outside The Comfort Zone

Posted on August 1, 2011 by Victoria Janssen

Last week, a friend of mine asked me to do an unusual critique. I’m glad I took her up on it. This friend, though not a fiction writer, is a professional in nonfiction and has worked as an editor. She’s … Continue reading →

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Imaginary Alleys

Posted on May 25, 2011 by Victoria Janssen

London 1900: The Imperial Metropolis got me to thinking. How accurate does a historical writer have to be about the tiny details of place? Does it only matter about the major landmarks, or do the side streets count as well? … Continue reading →

Posted in historical fiction, moonlight mistress, research, writing craft | 9 Comments

Fast Time and Slow Time in Fiction

Posted on May 11, 2011 by Victoria Janssen

I’ve been reading The Art of Time in Fiction: As Long as It Takes by Joan Silber for a while now. It’s a small book, and easy to read, but it packs in a lot of concepts, and I don’t … Continue reading →

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History and Diction

Posted on April 27, 2011 by Victoria Janssen

I’ve been reading through a lot of Regencies in my TBR lately, and one thing I notice frequently is the diction. I go back and forth a lot on the issue of historical diction. To me, diction is the base … Continue reading →

Posted in historical fiction, reading, romance novels, writing craft | 2 Comments

Building Setting: Inherent Conflict

Posted on April 13, 2011 by Victoria Janssen

When creating a setting for a novel, it needs to provide opportunities for conflict. For example, in a Regency Romance, the conflict is generally between the characters and the social mores of that time and place. For one reason or … Continue reading →

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Active Settings

Posted on April 11, 2011 by Victoria Janssen

I had a note to myself that I should blog about “active settings.” I didn’t remember exactly why I’d written that phrase down, but ideas began to spill into my mind, as if the phrase was a cue. Thinking of … Continue reading →

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