Blog topic suggested by Ticana Zhu When we talk about “Killing your darlings” in fiction, what we mean is realizing that a particular phrase, paragraph, or scene is not, in fact, working with the story, no matter how much you Read more
“How do you get it all done?” someone asked me recently, and she wasn’t the first. “I want to see your daily routine, learn your secrets.” I gape around my messy desk, my ever-increasing to-do list, and marvel. Every day, Read more
We have a salad vending machine at work. It was the cause of some excitement. “It’s like magic!” a co-worker said. “Robots making salad!” Except, every morning, a cafeteria worker was dicing up the ingredients to the machine’s specifications, and Read more
There’s a instinct in us as new writers, to tell the story completely. To tie up all the loose ends, say, or to make sure we describe not just how the characters get from the house to the restaurant, but Read more
When I was packing for the Clarion Writing Workshop in 2013, I picked a book to bring. I knew that, even with as busy I would be, I’d want a nice long one to last the six weeks, so I Read more
As writers, we get to set everything up so that nothing is our hero’s fault; the villains are just BAD for no reason, and that can feel pleasurable. But, it’s a dangerous thing to do. Here’s why. Real evil comes Read more
… disappointed I can’t come up with a version of my name with the same number of syllables as “Carmen Sandiago.” Marie Vi-i-ber-ert? AHEM. I went and did it again and said yes to a lot of stuff, so I Read more