Recent content by Mark

You need to give your heroes serious flaws: psychological flaws that affect them, but also moral flaws that affect others too. And the only way for them to overcome these flaws, which they're perhaps unaware of, is to face the challenges of the story you give them. If you can do this then the...

A good a definition as any. I see it as a sub-genre which is basically fantasy with some science fiction elements. So a mix of high technology with magic.

I write in that genre –*more or less.

Mirror images contain some differences — some things are the other way around. Think about their personal/family/educational history. Where is it different? From these differences find something unique about your characters. How would the different cultures have affected their outlooks? Are...

There's no normal. I don't think many/any people have great first drafts; the thing is just to finish and get the big picture. And then go back and worry about it :)

I think Linkedin is most useful if you write, or plan to write, nonfiction. I'm not really sure what use it has if you write fiction.

I agree with the second drawback, although so far my group has been reliable –*or at least the core membership has. And the core membership includes the most serious writers. I'm not sure the first drawback is such a drawback, because I learn a lot in the process, and because all the books are...

I use the three act dramatic structure and feel it gives me a lot of freedom to be creative. But if you want to read up on this you need to choose the books you read carefully, some express it dogmatically and too simplistically.

Some good posts here. I've found beta readers, but it's taken time (a few years). I set up a critique group on meet up. com, but the mix of poets, literary writers, genre writers and others didn't always work. So I set up a fantasy/sci-fi writers' group, and from this group I've found some good...

I like to introduce the main character and issue as soon as possible. Hopefully you can build the world at the same time.

This idea has worked well for many writers. I especially liked Alan Dean Foster's very funny Spellsinger series.

I read recently that Amazon was deleting many reviews from the top reviewers – which would obviously affect this. Have you tried doing this yourself?

I'd feel cheated if it was an important character. It just seems too easy. With a minor character it would be alright if the accidental death of the served the plot.

Like other people here I write when I can. Sometimes this is very early in the mornings; sometimes it's in the evening. And I find time at the weekend too. I use bus/train journeys to visualise scenes, and I sometimes make notes on the bus too. Whenever you can really.

. It does simplify things, and it works for some people, but it's possible an author will sell well on another platform too. I sell about 50% of my books on Amazon and about 40% on Kobo and B&N. There's also the eggs in a basket argument. Well worth buying, and his website it worth...