Inspiration: Mining the World for Ideas
There are times in most writers’ lives where their muse takes an unannounced vacation. Sometimes, there’s no real reason for this desertion, and sometimes she doesn’t even leave a note […]
Characters: Why Perfection is Annoying
People aren’t perfect. Of course, perfection, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder, but people aren’t universally perfect. In fact, most people’s automatic reaction when they see someone […]
Characters: Really Listening to the Voices in Your Head
“Where do your characters come from?” It’s a question many authors are asked, and each one has a different answer. Some characters are based on a single individual, while others […]
Outlining: The Good, the Bad, and the Helpful
I used to hate brainstorming. Do you remember those days in elementary school when the teacher would set aside time in the day for you to create Venn diagrams and […]
Setting: Why it Matters and How to Choose One
Susan smiled as she watched her five-year-old son, Ryan,playing on the swings; simply hearing his squeals of laughter each time the swing reached its peak made her happy. Her eyes […]
Fanfiction: Pros and Cons
Fanfiction (noun): fictional stories based on a popular book, movie, television show, etc. In the past ten years, as internet use has become close to universal, there has been an […]
Stealing: How to do it the Right Way
Say it with me: There are NO completely original ideas left in the world. Again? Sure! There are NO completely original ideas left in the world. And one more time […]
Writing: Why Bother?
Ask yourself this question and, please, answer honestly: Why do I want to write? If your answer consists mainly of ideas like “Because I want to be rich and famous,” […]
Books: Learning to Read Like a Writer
Mastering this may take some time or it may be a natural extension of your more concentrated focus on writing tips and techniques. Either way, it’s something I believe is […]