Sandy Vaile's Blog
March 15, 2025
How to Ensure a Story Idea is Worth Writing
Author: Sandy Vaile
Originally published by Writers in the Storm blog on 1st November 2023
As writers, we’re painfully aware that not every story idea that sparkles in our mind turns into a gem on paper. With the intense competition of four million book releases each year, it’s crucial to ensure the idea behind a book is compelling and marketable. If only there was a simple way to test ideas and be sure they are worth spending time on.
Well, there is!
​Whether you’re a meticulous planner or prefer t...
Originally published by Writers in the Storm blog on 1st November 2023
As writers, we’re painfully aware that not every story idea that sparkles in our mind turns into a gem on paper. With the intense competition of four million book releases each year, it’s crucial to ensure the idea behind a book is compelling and marketable. If only there was a simple way to test ideas and be sure they are worth spending time on.
Well, there is!
​Whether you’re a meticulous planner or prefer t...
January 26, 2025
How to Clearly Format Non-Verbal Communication in Fiction
Author: Sandy VaileÂ
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Have you ever been bamboozled when it comes to formatting non-verbal communications in a fictional story?
Things like text messages, social media posts, chat room conversations and emails can be tricky to incorporate seamlessly into a manuscript; yet they are so much a part of our everyday lives that leaving them out can make a story feel less authentic.
Today’s readers are accustomed to consuming a mixture of text and graphics on their screens, and eBooks offer the flexibilit...
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Have you ever been bamboozled when it comes to formatting non-verbal communications in a fictional story?
Things like text messages, social media posts, chat room conversations and emails can be tricky to incorporate seamlessly into a manuscript; yet they are so much a part of our everyday lives that leaving them out can make a story feel less authentic.
Today’s readers are accustomed to consuming a mixture of text and graphics on their screens, and eBooks offer the flexibilit...
November 26, 2024
How to Write Concise Dialogue that Rings True
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First published on the Writers in the Storm blog 03/05/23
​Dialogue is a powerful tool in fiction because it enables readers to get to know characters without the author telling them how to feel or information dumping what they need to know.
But how do you make dialogue believable and capable of communicating vital information succinctly, while captivating readers?
Speech predates written language by tens of thousands of years and is ingrained in our daily lives. It’s the basis ...
First published on the Writers in the Storm blog 03/05/23
​Dialogue is a powerful tool in fiction because it enables readers to get to know characters without the author telling them how to feel or information dumping what they need to know.
But how do you make dialogue believable and capable of communicating vital information succinctly, while captivating readers?
Speech predates written language by tens of thousands of years and is ingrained in our daily lives. It’s the basis ...
May 10, 2024
How to Format Dialogue in Novels - The art of clear conversations
Author:Â Sandy Vaile
Previously published on the Writers in the Storm blog on 3rd August 2023.
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Dialogue in fiction stories is a reliable way of bringing characters to life and immersing readers in their lives, but for it to be effective, it needs to be understood.
As Michel de Montaigne said in his essay, On the Art of Conversation,
Previously published on the Writers in the Storm blog on 3rd August 2023.
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Dialogue in fiction stories is a reliable way of bringing characters to life and immersing readers in their lives, but for it to be effective, it needs to be understood.
As Michel de Montaigne said in his essay, On the Art of Conversation,
The most fruitful and natural exercise of the mind � is conversation.�​It stimulates thinking, engages facial expressions and has the magic to convey complex ideas t...
November 30, 2023
Format Internal Thoughts in Fiction
Author: Sandy Vaile
​First published in Hearts Talk ezine in August 2023
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How to write character thoughts without irritating readers One way to bring readers closer to fictional characters is to get inside their heads and show their thoughts, to provide intimacy and insight to readers. But is the only way to do this to italicise them? If not, what other options are available to authors?
Formatting internal thoughts in fiction is a subject that causes a great deal of confusion.
It raises so many q...
​First published in Hearts Talk ezine in August 2023
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How to write character thoughts without irritating readers One way to bring readers closer to fictional characters is to get inside their heads and show their thoughts, to provide intimacy and insight to readers. But is the only way to do this to italicise them? If not, what other options are available to authors?
Formatting internal thoughts in fiction is a subject that causes a great deal of confusion.
It raises so many q...
October 11, 2023
Are You Writing a Shiny Idea or a Robust Story?
Author: Sandy VaileÂ
Originally published on the Writers In The Storm blog, 8th February 2023
​Too often I see authors enthusiastically start writing a novel, only to run out of steam part way through. In fact, only 30% of people who start writing a novel will actually finish it. It’s heartbreaking when a fantastic concept languishes in the bottom drawer forever.
Why does this happen?
You could be writing a shiny, exciting idea that doesn’t have the substance to support an entire book.
�A lot of this...
Originally published on the Writers In The Storm blog, 8th February 2023
​Too often I see authors enthusiastically start writing a novel, only to run out of steam part way through. In fact, only 30% of people who start writing a novel will actually finish it. It’s heartbreaking when a fantastic concept languishes in the bottom drawer forever.
Why does this happen?
You could be writing a shiny, exciting idea that doesn’t have the substance to support an entire book.
�A lot of this...
August 31, 2023
How to Create Relevant Backstory that Drives (Not Stalls) a Novel
Author: Sandy VaileÂ
Originally published in Hearts Talk eZine's March edition 2023
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Creating compelling backstory is essential for developing rich well-rounded characters that capture the interest of readers.
However, the wrong backstory can turn into an information dump that slows a story’s pace to a yawn. Read on to find out how to create backstory that is relevant to the plot, so it won’t detract from what’s important: the story.
It’s not enough to know everything about a character’s past, lik...
Originally published in Hearts Talk eZine's March edition 2023
​�
Creating compelling backstory is essential for developing rich well-rounded characters that capture the interest of readers.
However, the wrong backstory can turn into an information dump that slows a story’s pace to a yawn. Read on to find out how to create backstory that is relevant to the plot, so it won’t detract from what’s important: the story.
It’s not enough to know everything about a character’s past, lik...
July 7, 2023
Number One Concept to Stop Showing Confusion
Author: Sandy Vaile
Previously published on the Romance Writers of Australia blog 23/08/22
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‘Show don’t tell� is one of the most worrisome writing guidelines ever created, but it’s also essential to modern authors. Finding the right balance of showing and telling in your story is like patting your head and rubbing your belly while balancing on one leg at the top of a pole in a river full of crocodiles. (And I never exaggerate.)
Authors get themselves tied up in knots over how much to show and where...
Previously published on the Romance Writers of Australia blog 23/08/22
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‘Show don’t tell� is one of the most worrisome writing guidelines ever created, but it’s also essential to modern authors. Finding the right balance of showing and telling in your story is like patting your head and rubbing your belly while balancing on one leg at the top of a pole in a river full of crocodiles. (And I never exaggerate.)
Authors get themselves tied up in knots over how much to show and where...
June 6, 2023
Write Better Fiction by Finding its Beating Heart
Author: Sandy Vaile
Previously published on the Writers in the Storm blog 02/11/22
​Every story has a beating heart that gives it purpose. It’s the vision that keeps all the working parts of a novel focused on what really matters, enabling the author to outline more easily and write a purposeful story.
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But how can you be sure your story has one (and if it hasn’t, grab the defibrillator and shock it into being)?
What is the heart of a story? Plots are the mechanism for moving characters through a...
Previously published on the Writers in the Storm blog 02/11/22
​Every story has a beating heart that gives it purpose. It’s the vision that keeps all the working parts of a novel focused on what really matters, enabling the author to outline more easily and write a purposeful story.
�
But how can you be sure your story has one (and if it hasn’t, grab the defibrillator and shock it into being)?
What is the heart of a story? Plots are the mechanism for moving characters through a...
April 14, 2023
The Secret to an Enduring Author Career
Author: Sandy VaileÂ
Previously published on the Writing and Wellness blog 03/08/22.
After more than a decade of writing and teaching fiction, I have the luxury of looking back on my journey (thus far) to see where I could have done things differently, to heighten enjoyment and expedite my arrival at the place I am now.
And I’m going to share those insights with you today.Â
I’m Sandy Vaile, an author of fast-paced romantic suspense for Simon and Schuster US and a fiction coach who is empowering mode...
Previously published on the Writing and Wellness blog 03/08/22.
After more than a decade of writing and teaching fiction, I have the luxury of looking back on my journey (thus far) to see where I could have done things differently, to heighten enjoyment and expedite my arrival at the place I am now.
And I’m going to share those insights with you today.Â
I’m Sandy Vaile, an author of fast-paced romantic suspense for Simon and Schuster US and a fiction coach who is empowering mode...
