On November 26th, the latest opus from Bernard Cornwell – Sword of Kings – will be available in bookstores in the US. If you’re already a fan of The Last Kingdom Series, then you’re no doubt as eager as I am for the newest volume. If you haven’t yet explored Cornwell’s work, then don’t wait… Read more »
In my last post, we discussed how a protagonist is the driving force behind every story. And there are four distinct types of protagonists, and different writers are drawn to different ones. They all exist on a spectrum, between what a character wants and his or her personality. Which do you gravitate towards? Let’s take… Read more »
Most people are familiar with Hemingway’s writing advice encouraging storytellers to, “Write what you know.” But what most of us “know” comes from first not knowing — from daring to journey toward understanding. Writing fiction well requires we provoke our reader’s curiosity and wonder; but how can we as writers feel either curious or wonder-filled… Read more »
Hey there word nerds!Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Brenda Jackson. Brenda Jackson is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of over 100 novels and novellas, including two that have been turned into films—One Special Moment and Truly Everlasting. Brenda is a recipient of the Romance Writers of America’s Lifetime Achievement… Read more »
Trigger warning—contains memories of sexual abuse I’m reading Drawing Power, a new comics anthology (edited by Diane Noomin with an introduction by Roxanne Gay). Inspired by the #metoo movement, sixty-three comics artists, including Aline Kominsky-Crumb, Liana Finck, Ariel Schrag, Una, and Emil Ferris tell their stories of sexual harassment and abuse. I was excited when… Read more »
Many writers, especially those early in their careers, suffer from impostor syndrome: the persistent feeling that one is fraudulent and doesn’t belong in one’s chosen field, and it’s only a matter of time before the world uncovers that fact. Such feelings can be magnified if you’re self-publishing. Without the external validation of an agent choosing… Read more »
Halloween is just around the corner, which means it’s prime time to read — and write! — some spooky, scary stories. And whether you’re a fan of the classic ghost story à la M.R. James, the darkly imaginative tales of Stephen King, or Gillian Flynn’s unique brand of psychological horror, you probably realize that all… Read more »
Hey there word nerds! Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Nicole Valentine. Nicole Valentine earned her MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from the Vermont College of Fine Arts and teaches the Brain Trust Workshop at the Highlights Foundation in Honesdale, PA. Before shifting to writing, she used to work at CNN.com in… Read more »
Hey Word Nerds! Gabriela here. This is the first of a super special series of four articles discussing one of my favorite topics — your storytelling superpower. I’m so excited to share it with you! Some say that at the heart of every story, you find a compelling character. I agree… almost. Characters are more… Read more »
The typical idea of an Ask the Editor column is for you (a writer) to ask me (an editor) questions, which I then explain as larger concepts for the benefit of other writers. But without your questions, I’m stuck picking my own topics—a dangerous thing. This month, I decided to flip the meaning of this… Read more »
