 Hello, hello, writers. I'm Kristen Kiefer, author of fantasy fiction and creative writing resources And you are listening to the well-sturried podcast where I share insights, encouragement and actionable advice designed to help you craft Sensational novels and build your best writing life always in 30 minutes or less so you can get back to writing, of course Ready for the show? Let's get talking All right. All right, we have a big mammoth episode to cover today. So let's dive in friends Today's article and episode is called our called how fiction writers can improve the quality of their prose As I'll discuss in-depth a little bit later in this episode I am someone for whom writing prose does not come naturally I love writing stories, but getting them down onto paper is always super difficult for me And so I've had to work very hard over the past several years to intentionally improve the quality of my prose And this episode is going to break down everything I have learned in the past couple of years to improve my writing so that I can do my stories justice and In particular this episode is going to break down What elements of prose you should consider at every step in the writing process So when you're drafting when you're revising and when you're editing Which should hopefully help you overcome the overwhelm of figuring out how to improve your writing Giving you some more actionable steps for leveling up your work But before we dive into today's episode Let's do a quick behind-the-scenes update today I am very excited to announce that build your best writing life my upcoming book for writers is out with Bader readers. I am so excited about this a little terrified as Anybody would be when seeking critical feedback, but very excited The I finished the second draft of this book at the end of May and then I sent it out to beta readers on Monday Specifically I am looking for feedback on content and structure. So this is kind of a developmental beta reader Experience that I'm looking for. I will then when the feedback comes in over the next three weeks I will take that feedback and figure out what I need to change about the books content and structure to make it the Very best that it can be and then I'll be moving on to working with a professional editor to again Help this book be the best that it can be So I'm very very excited about that and I will also be sharing more details about build your best writing life As we draw closer to publishing over the next couple of months Today, I also have two new guest posts to share with you over on the well-stoy blog The first is called how to find your writing rhythm using the snowball effect and it was written by diana l james This article is so so excellent if you are someone who often finds yourself staring at the blank page Unsure of how to actually start to make words happen If every word feels like pulling teeth and you just don't know how to Get over this block and start making forward progress. This is the guest post for you You can find this article at well-stoyed.com slash snowball. So make sure to check it out The second article I have to share is called how to overcome the fear of submitting your fiction And this article was written by annie persig If you are interested in submitting your fiction to an editor to a An agent to writing contests to any sort of feedback workshop This is definitely an article worth checking out annie has submitted her work Almost 300 times in the past three years So she knows a thing or two both about the fear of submitting and how to get over that fear So if you would like to give this article a read you can find it at well-stoyed.com Slash submission fear Both of those links I will leave for you in today's episode description. So you can check them check them out there as well Excuse me If you would like to submit your own guest post to the well story blog I would absolutely be honored to give it a read and hopefully to share it on the website You can find our guest post submission guidelines at well-stoyed.com slash guest As always, I would also like to give a quick shout out to some of the awesome people who have really made Just put a smile on my face these past few weeks The first shout out goes to holly meridae who left a lovely review of the podcast on itunes She gave it a five star rating and said very helpful I have been listening to this podcast for about a week now And I've received encouragement as well as new perspectives on many aspects of my writing The episodes are brief and to the point I really really appreciate hearing that holly. So thank you very much for leaving that lovely review It gives me a lot of encouragement to keep on creating these episodes I'd also like to give a shout out to daniel overton in our facebook group our well-stoyed facebook group called your right dream Which anyone is free and welcome to join Daniel wrote all called up on the podcasts will restart as there is priceless material that you cover Thanks for all you do And a big thank you to you daniel for listening in you know I already said that to you on facebook But I just want to reiterate how grateful I am to hear such wonderful feedback And to know that you're listening in and that this podcast helps you And finally I have to give a shout out to kate towns in on twitter I I posted on twitter the other week that I was kind of having a mini creative crisis And uh kate replied saying I wish I could say check out the well-stoyed podcast The host has such great tips on how to deal with a creative crisis And I just I really really needed that reminder that I know how to work through creative crises I've shared encouragement and tips on this myself and that maybe I should just take my own advice So that really helped me the other week and I really appreciate that kate. Thank you very much All right now to dive into the heart of today's episode Today's episode of the podcast translates the latest article from the well-stoyed blog into audio Titled how fiction writers can improve the quality of their prose You can find the article that also serves as the episode transcript at www.well-stoyed.com Slash prose now let's dive in Most fiction writers come to the page with a passion for either language or storytelling My own strengths lie in the latter I love mapping plot arcs developing characters and crafting fictional worlds Yet for me translating those story elements onto the page has always felt like pulling teeth I simply do not have a natural knack for prose Which is why I've spent the past several years working hard to improve the quality of my writing If you'd like to do the same today's episode is for you In this mega guide, I am sharing each specific element of prose you should consider at every step in the writing process Breaking down the overwhelm of learning to write wonderfully readable prose So you can work to level up your writing skills with confidence Shall we begin? How to improve your prose as you draft First drafts aren't meant to read like finished books Their purpose lies in getting the story in your head down on paper So you can later revise and refine your story to high shine To spend too much time tailoring your prose as you draft is usually a waste of effort As there's a good chance that same prose will end up on the cutting room floor Still that doesn't mean you shouldn't put thought into your prose as you draft Bearing in mind the following five elements will help you craft a more cohesive narrative That will require less overhaul later in your writing process element number one voice Most stories are told through the lens of a narrator or point of view character The more that character's voice colors the narrative on a line by line basis The more engaging a story will be And the first draft is the perfect place to explore your character's voice For more information on this topic Don't miss the article that I have linked in today's episode transcript at well-dash-draid.com slash prose All right element number two point of view and tense To avoid an incredibly frustrating edit The first draft is the place to decide which point of view and tense are right for your book Will you write in first second or third person? In past or present tense? Will you switch between points of view and tense throughout your book? If you're unsure, I've linked another article for you in today's episode transcript Onto element number three atmosphere Atmosphere is the emotional landscape created by external sources in a scene such as the setting action dialogue or context in which the scene takes place A reunion scene between characters for example may have a joyful atmosphere So take time to consider the atmosphere in each scene you draft And you'll craft prose that paints a fuller picture of the story you long to tell element number four mood In any given scene the mood is the emotional atmosphere Readers experience as a result of the point of view characters inner narrative So for example Readers may feel sorrow as the point of view character reminisces on the loss of a friend During that same reunion scene we described above or earlier So with every scene you draft consider the mood you'd like to set The more you write with your point of view characters inner world in mind The more of an emotional connection you'll create with readers through your prose Element number five purpose When seeking to improve your prose as you draft it's important to consider purpose Are you writing lines just because they popped into your head? Or because you're striving to hit a certain word count? Or do they actually play a role in the greater context of your story? It's okay to use the first draft to explore your characters plot and world You do not need to justify every line you write But if you want to save yourself from endless trimming during revisions Take care to avoid writing as much filler as you can Be intentional and you will be happier with the prose that you write How to improve your prose as you revise? Revising is the process of improving the content of your story It doesn't concern itself with spelling or grammar or readability But rather with story elements such as plot character setting and theme Still there remain plenty of ways to improve your prose as you revise your story Here are the five main elements you'll want to consider First up Exposition Exposition is any information that gives context to a story Character backstory character relationships information about the setting or history of the world and so on As you revise consider how you've relayed exposition in your prose Does it blend seamlessly into your narrative or have you plopped it down in overwhelming info dumps? Does the exposition meld with your character's knowledge and voice? Or does it read more like a passage from a textbook? Element number two description The most immersive descriptions are written through the lens of a point of view character Consider your own descriptions as you revise Does your prose reveal what your point of view character would truly see taste hear touch and smell If you would like more guidance on writing immersive descriptions I've linked yet another article for you in today's episode transcript Element number three action In every scene you revise consider how you've written your character's movements and body language As well as any action sequences that take place Have you given readers enough information to visualize what your characters are doing? Are your characters actions true to their development? Do you overuse any body language ticks such as smirking or wringing hands? Have you included too many action cues thus disrupting the pace of your scene? Element number four dialogue As you revise review every line of dialogue you've written What purpose does each line serve in the narrative? Does it reveal important context information or characterization? Does it move the plot board? How do your character's conversations affect their relationships? Consider whether your dialogue rings true to your characters as well Many writers contrive dialogue to force drama rather than trusting in the characters they've created Inexperienced writers also tend to treat communication as a solely verbal act Leading to dialogue with little subtlety or realism When reviewing your story's dialogue you may benefit from reviewing the additional tips I've included in the article I've once more linked in today's episode transcript There are a lot of articles linked in this article if you follow So definitely make sure to check them out I won't link them all in today's podcast episode description But they will all be in the episode transcript And I should note that all of the article links also link to the episode Podcast episodes that correlate with them. Does that make sense? All right onto element number five inner dialogue Finally consider your narrator or point-of-view character once again Does their inner dialogue ring true to their voice? Have you crafted prose that reflects their perspective as your story unfolds? How have you given them an emotional stake in the story that helps readers connect to their inner narrative? How to improve your prose as you edit? Editing is the final stage of the writing process where you'll seek to improve the quality of your writing on a line-by-line and word-by-word basis to tell the best possible story This is also where you'll complete the most detailed work as you seek to level up your prose So ready to dive in? Here are the major elements to consider when editing your manuscript Element number one Diction Otherwise known as word choice, diction plays a powerful role in defining effective prose When editing, be mindful of your word choice Seek out weak verbs and adverbs Adjective overload, cliches, inaccurate vocabulary, and intensifiers All of which and more we'll discuss in an upcoming episode of the podcast Element number two Syntax Also known as sentence structure, syntax plays an equally powerful role in defining effective prose Play around with dependent and independent clauses, fragments, and even single word sentences By varying your sentence structure, your writing will take on an ebb and flow, making for a more readable narrative If you use the same sentence structure on repeat, do so with intention A series of short or choppy sentences can increase the pace of a story An effective technique in many action scenes and moments of mental instability While longer sentences tend to provide a more languid reading experience Element number three Brevity More is not often more in prose Though your language doesn't need to be spartan, don't overcomplicate your writing Seek out wordy sentences See if you can't say the same thing with five fewer words A major exception to this is show don't tell As Anton Chekhov said Don't tell me the moon is shining Show me the glint of light on broken glass Telling may favor brevity, but it also makes for dry reading That said, showing can easily turn into purple prose, so work to find a healthy balance between the two Once again, I have linked an article on show don't tell for you in today's episode transcript Element number four Simplicity While I'm quoting authors, let's turn our ears to John Grisham Who said there are three types of words One, words we know Two, words we should know Three, words nobody knows Forget those in the third category and use restraint with those in the second End quote Insecure writers often try to compensate for a lack of skill or experience By striving to sound more academic in their prose Nothing sounds more contrived Keep it simple writer and you'll keep it real Element number five Metaphors and similes Nothing indicates poor writing like cliche metaphors and similes Especially those describing a character's eyes His gaze was a storm at sea Her eyes gleamed like twin jewels Writer, it's time to get creative If you're going to use a metaphor or simile Get inside your character's head And consider how they would truly describe the object at hand They can't know his eyes were a storm at sea If they've never seen the sea Element number six Dialogue and action tags Said is not dead my friend Many writers make the mistake of thinking More descriptive dialogue tags create a stronger narrative But in truth an overuse of notable tags Can slow the pace of a conversation Said on the other hand is a word so common That it doesn't disrupt the flow of a narrative Replacing dialogue tags with action tags Can also create a more immersive story As they will still indicate the speaker While also helping readers further visualize the scene For more on both of these dialogue and action tag topics Make sure to give our article on dialogue a read Again, I know I've said this a lot But I have linked it for you in today's episode transcript And finally element number seven Micro pacing While we're on the topic of flow Are you disrupting the pace of your scene By using filter words or other unnecessary modifiers Phrases like he saw She watched as A moment passed and suddenly Can usually be cut without affecting Reader's understanding of the narrative Making for stronger prose With so many elements to consider Improving the quality of your prose can feel overwhelming In showcasing which elements to consider At each stage in the writing process I hope I've given you confidence in your ability To become the writer you long to be Remember, growth takes time and determination Be patient with yourself Read as much quality writing as you can And don't be afraid to mimic other authors It's often in copying the work of others That we discover what does and does not work for us I'd also encourage you to read your work aloud Doing so activates a different section of your brain Allowing you to think more critically About the choices you've made in your writing Finally, know that you are not any less of a writer For needing to work so diligently to improve your prose A little natural talent never hurts But writing is still a craft Anyone with the will to improve their work can do so And will, so long as they remain determined in their course So keep working, my friend Quality writing is within reach Thank you for listening to today's episode of The Podcast Writer I hope you found it helpful to your writing journey If so, make sure to subscribe to the podcast So you never miss a new episode And to give the podcast a quick rating and review Doing so goes a long way toward helping the podcast reach new writers And lets me know that you're enjoying what I'm creating You can also give me a shout out directly on Twitter at christen underscore keeper For additional guidance as you work to craft sensational novels And build your best writing life Be sure to head on over to www.well-storied.com Where I share blog posts, workbooks, e-courses And other helpful resources for writers Again, that's w-e-l-l-s-t-o-r-i-e-d.com Thank you again for tuning into today's episode, my friend Until next time, happy writing