Many amateur writers mistakenly believe that they don’t need a solid grounding in the language in order to write. After all, great writers break the rules all the time, right? […]
Setting: San Francisco
When I was scouting around for a place to set the Devon Day and the Sweetwater Kid stories, I checked out several cities that would have fit their bill back […]
Short-Short: Genres
HERE is a link to one of the StoryGrid articles – all about genre and the details you need to know in order to write in any one of them.
15 Simple Tips for Procrastination
Procrastination is a fine art. How should I avoid my writing, you ask? Here are some simple tips. Clean the house. You know it needs doing, right? What better time […]
Catch ‘Em Quick
Writing a catchy first paragraph is a must for every writer, but especially for fiction writers. If the reader isn’t hooked in the first paragraph, sometimes the first two or […]
Revising 1-2-3
Revision can be tough. Sometimes it’s hard to take a good, clear look at what you’ve written. Here are some good tips to get you started on the revision process: […]
5 Ways to Round Out Your Characters
It’s not enough just to invent a character. You have to breathe life into that imaginary person. Here are five ways you can do this – and how to show […]
What is a Scene?
Many writers, especially new writers, have trouble with scenes. They can picture the beginning of their story and the end, but what comes between gets a little hazy. The key […]
Short-Short: The Math
Shawn Coyne’s Story Grid has a great article on the mathematics of storytelling. It’s got everything from how long your book should be to how to break it down into […]
Plot or Character Driven?
Are you a plot-driven or character-driven writer? By this I mean what sorts of stories do you typically write? It all depends on what sorts of questions you ask. Do […]