Articles written by Mike Klaassen

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About me - Mike Klaassen

Author of young-adult novels CRACKS and THE BRUTE. "My goal is to write fiction that even the most reluctant readers will enjoy." I'm currently working on two projects: a novel set during the War of 1812 and a nonfiction book about writing fiction.

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Arts & Humanities > Writing Tips Fiction writing: How to write your character's thoughts: 1 of 5
Introspection, the fiction-writing mode used to convey a character's thoughts, may appear to be simple in published fiction, but the issues facing an author during the writing process are numerous:* Punctuation* Attribution Tags* Tense* Person* Direct vs. Indirect Introspection* Verbs of Thought* Narrative Distance* Paragraph... More..
Arts & Humanities > Thoughts on Writing The major elements of writing fiction: 3 of 13
THE FIFTH ELEMENT: The "Other Stuff" of Fiction.Not too long ago, the most enlightened of mankind considered the basic elements of the universe to be earth, wind, and fire. Over the last several hundred years - no doubt through lively debate - the scientists of the world have pretty much agreed on a standard periodical table ... More..
Arts & Humanities > Writing Tips Deciding if one should use profanity in young adult fiction: 4 of 14
CURSE, CUSS, OR CLEAN IT UPRecently, I came across a blog where several authors were debating the use of profanity in young-adult fiction. As I was reading through the messages, I was reminded of my own struggle to add realism to my stories without being irresponsible to young readers.One of the first things I learned as a wr... More..
Arts & Humanities > Thoughts on Writing Finding a good writing critique group: 4 of 12
CRITIQUE GROUPS: Boon or Bane?From time to time I wonder if I should join a critique group. In theory, they make a lot of sense. After all, writing can be a lonely enterprise and, at a minimum, groups offer the opportunity for human interaction. I can also imagine that effective groups provide participants with insight, feedb... More..
Arts & Humanities > Children's Literature Writing children's books: Getting started: 3 of 9
WHAT MAKES A GREAT NOVEL FOR CHILDREN? Regardless of the age of the intended audience, great novels have one large common denominator: each is a great story. Great stories share traits that coincide with the five fundamental elements of fiction (character, plot, setting, theme, and style). CHARACTER. According to Donald Maas... More..
Arts & Humanities > Writing Tips Achieving sense perception in fiction writing: 1 of 3
Sensation is the fiction-writing mode for portraying a character's perception of the senses. Authors are often encouraged to incorporate the five (or maybe even six) senses into their stories. Despite all the emphasis on utilizing the senses, sensation is not widely recognized as a distinct fiction-writing mode. Unfortunately... More..
Arts & Humanities > Writing Tips Transition as a fiction-writing mode: 1 of 2
In the television series Star Trek, people routinely teleport through space ("Beam me up, Scotty."). In some episodes they even slip back and forth though time via wormholes and other gaps in the space-time continuum. In the world of fiction-writing, these leaps through time and space are called transitions. Fiction, by i... More..
Arts & Humanities > Writing Tips Fiction-writing modes and how to use them: 1 of 2
FICTION-WRITING MODES: The Tools of a NovelistYears ago, when I first began writing fiction, I was bewildered by the jargon and concepts that describe novels and the process of creating them. Let's face it, there's lots of information out there, and much of it is conflicting. Year by year, book by book, I've been sorting out ... More..
Arts & Humanities > Thoughts on Writing Understanding the importance of scene and sequel in fiction: 1 of 2
SCENE & SEQUEL: The Ebb and Flow of Fiction Scene and sequel are two of the most important components of plot, but they also seem to be two of the least understood. If plot were an engine, scene and sequel would be the pistons powering the drive shaft. Writers striving to turbocharge their writing might want to fine-tune... More..
Arts & Humanities > Writing Tips Fiction-writing: Using punctuation to create transitions: 1 of 2
According to Jessica Page Morrell, in Between the Lines, "Transitions are like punctuation in your sentences - - you employ them as a courtesy to readers so they find their way through your story and keep the fictional dream flowing." Punctuation may not be the first thing writers consider when thinking of transition, but... More..