Articles written by Mike Klaassen - Page 2

Where Knowledge Rules

What is Helium

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.

I also

+ more bio information

RSS Feed

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 in... More..
Arts & Humanities > Thoughts on Writing Violence in young-adult fiction: Acceptable, beneficial or inexcusable?: 1 of 2
Violence in children's fiction isn't new. Just think about the old fairy tales. Two of the little pigs were eaten before the third pig boiled the Big Bad Wolf alive. After a wolf ate Little Red Riding Hood and her grandmother, a hunter sliced the wolf open to let them out. A wolf eventually ate the boy who cried wolf. More r... More..
Arts & Humanities > Thoughts on Writing Fiction-writing: From inspiration to publication: 1 of 2
My first novel began as a blank page on a yellow legal pad at a Winchell's donut shop in Wichita, Kansas. As I savored my coffee and nibbled on a plain-cake donut, I decided to write a young-adult novel, primarily for boys. I hadn't written so much fiction as a short story since the eighth grade, and wondered where to begin.... More..
Arts & Humanities > Thoughts on Writing Descriptive writing for the modern reader: 1 of 2
Description is the fiction-writing mode for transmitting a mental image of the particulars of a story. It's through description that characters, plot, and setting are portrayed. Description may also be used to help develop one or more of a story's themes. And, of course, how and when description is utilized throughout a stor... More..
Arts & Humanities > Writing Resources Book reviews: Teach Yourself: Writing a Novel, by Nigel Watts: 1 of 2
Book Review of TEACH YOURSELF: WRITING A NOVEL By Nigel Watts McGraw-Hill A GOOD STARTING POINT If you're thinking about writing a novel or are just getting one started, the first book you should read is Teach Yourself: Writing a Novel, by Nigel Watts. Chapter subjects include beginnings, plot, subplot, symbolism, character,... More..
Arts & Humanities > Writing Tips Fiction writing and the use of narration: 1 of 1
NARRATION AS A FICTION-WRITING MODE. Narration in written fiction today has a different role than it has played in the past. As a fiction-writing mode, narration has a much smaller part-and a shrinking one, at that. As do so many words in the English language, narration has more than one meaning. In its broadest context, nar... More..
Arts & Humanities > Writing Tips Action as a fiction-writing mode: 1 of 1
As described by Evan Marshall in The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing, action is the mode fiction writers use to show what is happening at any given moment in the story. Action is important in each of the five elements of fiction. * PLOT is the "what happens" in a story, and action is the backbone of plot. * Action is the fic... More..
Arts & Humanities > Literature (Other) Book reviews: How to Write a Damn Good Novel, by James N. Frey: 1 of 1
A while back at a used book sale, I picked up a copy of How to Write a Damn Good Novel, by James N. Frey. I didn't notice until I got home that the title ended with a big Roman numeral II. After flipping through II, I decide I better get I as well. I'm glad I did. James N. Frey has written two books about the craft of writin... More..
Arts & Humanities > Writing Resources Software reviews: The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing Template Generator, by Evan Marshall and Martha Jewett: 1 of 1
One of my ongoing projects is to write articles about the craft of writing fiction. In several of my articles, I've quoted Evan Marshall, author of The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing and The Marshall Plan for Getting Your Novel Published, both of which offer insight and practical tips for fiction writers. In a third book, T... More..
Arts & Humanities > Writing Tips Fiction writing: Emotion as a fiction-writing mode: 1 of 1
Emotion is the fiction-writing mode whereby a character's feelings are portrayed. Unfortunately, emotion is not widely recognized as a distinct fiction-writing mode. Failure to treat it as such: * Downplays the contribution emotion makes to a story * Diminishes the likelihood that emotion will be fully analyzed and understoo... More..