Surprising a reader requires that an author think differently from others. As I mentioned in my previous article, being creative means finding new material to trigger ideas in your mind, or digging deeper for ideas in the material you have. But when I showed my post to my wife, she referred to it as the … Read more
I heard about nano (National Novel Writing Month) after a decade as an isolated writer. I was already a member of a writers’ forum and had for a year been a dedicated, daily writer. But 50k words in a month? It still felt like a daunting task. As November approaches, I’d like to share my … Read more
This article is by Anne Marie Gazzolo. There would be no Lord of the Rings without the title character and the galaxy far, far away would certainly be less dramatic without Darth Sidious. But the most interesting villains are those who are more than just plain evil. Darth Vader in Return of the Jedi is … Read more
“Wake up, Guardian!” Everything’s a little fuzzy. You can almost feel your toes. It’s like you’ve been laying on a pile of rocks for years. Then Peter Dinklage beckons again. “Wake up!” “Huh?” you incoherently babble. “What are – where am – is that Tyrion Lannis..?” “No time for that, Guardian.” He answers. “Here – … Read more
This article is by Melissa Cornwell. As a beginning writer who hasn’t written fiction in years, I ran into several problems as I began writing fantasy. I began one story (sort a memoir turned fantasy) and wrote 14,000 words….only to eventually get stuck. Why did I get stuck? I realized that my writing skills were … Read more
Okay, so the story wasn’t an accident, but its length was. I searched for any way to pass lonely Wisconsin winter hours while my coworkers paced an empty showroom floor, waiting for clients who needed a vehicle badly enough to brave low temperatures and icy streets. I hated all of it. In fact, I never … Read more
This article is by Selah Janel. There are a lot of reasons to write cross-genre books. While many stories thrive on rigid classification, many authors find that their potential readership increases by incorporating different genre elements. Cross-genre fiction is a way to stretch boundaries and challenge yourself. In a world where these plots are embraced … Read more
This article is by AE Jones. One of the hardest jobs for a writer is to pull a reader into their story. I mean, really, really suck them in until they think of the story as a world they can escape to and revel in for hours. And how do writers do this successfully? By … Read more
If ever you are stuck for ideas, look to Greece. In the ancient myths and legends of Greece, there are intriguing prophecies, clever generals, jealous deities, inventive punishments – and frightening beasties. Herodotus is a favourite of mine for such tales, but there’s plenty to draw from. The plays of Euripides and Sophocles, or for … Read more
I am a strong believer in the power of stories. Because of that, I look up to storytellers. So much so, that I’m doing something very painful right now. I’m writing about something I no longer care about… True Blood. Why am I doing this? I’ve taken on the job of helping writers by showing … Read more