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 from people like… me. Yes, me. Let me explain. Who Read more
You wrote something. It’s good. So good it amazes you. You wonder if you might actually be able to sell this, become an author. You want to show it off. You have a friend who is a published author. Here is why NOT to ask them to look at it. 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 how they get into the car. We want to be Read more
Expletives are a shorthand for emotion, and modern American speech is peppered with them. I tried to remove “god” from my vocabulary a few years ago, since, as an atheist, I felt I was being disingenuous. I started saying “Gort” because I thought it was funny. You know, the super-powerful Read more
Blog topic suggested by CuMhara O’Holyhead I remember as a new writer being afraid of using character archetypes. I mean not just stereotypes, but the wider, gentler tropes. The typical whatever. Hard Boiled Detective, Sexy Cat Burglar, Laconic Wise Man, Sassy Friend. I spent a lot of time coming up Read more
blog topic suggested by Nyla Bright. “Everyone says the writing in romance novels is bad but in my experience it’s no worse than a lot of genre fiction. The people it bothers the most are those not engaged— Or better yet, what not liking most romance novels has taught you Read more
Topic suggested by Tod Detre Many fiction writers assume they’ll be a good dungeon master. “That adventure we just played had such a simple plot! An old man sends us into an abandoned labyrinth for a lost gem? Where’s the twist? I can do muuuch better.” I was one such Read more