Disclaimer: I am not a theoretical physicist, nor to I portray one in any media. Time travel as a concept in fiction has been around since 1770 (L’An 2440, rêve s’il en fût jamais by Louis-Sébastien Mercier) but there are instances of time travel in the Mahabharata, and some Buddhist and Japanese tales [1]. Fairies, particularly… Read more »
Drawing powerful verbal images is a real skill and is often a key ability that defines ‘natural writers’. Here are five things to think about when you write with respect to using the power of the pen to draw images. 1) Be aware of visual imagery The first step is heightening your awareness of verbal… Read more »
There comes a point in every story when, despite the protagonist’s best efforts, everything goes wrong. The midpoint taught her to take an improved approach to achieving her story goal. But that won’t protect her from experiencing the worst possible setback in her pursuit. Now her goal seems unattainable, her task insurmountable – and the… Read more »
In recent weeks the future of the personal essay has been a hot topic – you may have come across Jia Tolentino’s article in the New Yorker, Lorraine Berry’s take on the situation over at LitHub or Susan Shapiro’s response to Tolentino’s piece. As a writer, teacher and lover of creative non-fiction, particularly its genre-bending… Read more »
Before I started blogging years ago, I didn’t read a lot of blogs or spend much time on news sites. As a college sophomore who desperately wanted to change her major from Engineering to English, fiction was my jam and not much else mattered. Fast forward to 2017, and web writing has become a… Read more »
What’s the trick to great writing? Making all of it great. Take out slow, confusing or tangential parts. Better, don’t even pen them in the first place. Learn to distinguish. All your words should gleam and hang together, like so many parts make a classic car or a Ferrari. All writers are told to cut… Read more »
Saying, “I write romance” to a romance connoisseur isn’t enough. The next questions is: what kind? There are different age categories, subgenres, heat levels, and tropes. Before you can write romance you have to know the ins and outs of the genre to learn where your book will fit in the market. Knowing how to… Read more »
Hey, you, writer. Do you have a ‘dirty little secret’? Is there an extra reason why you don’t let anyone read your old stuff? I bet you’ve written fanfiction. I’m here to tell you not to be ashamed of your archives. Fanfiction can be a serious tool for writers looking to learn, grow, and find… Read more »
How many times have you heard an author say that the idea for a story or novel came to them in a dream? Has that left you feeling a little envious? I’ve mentioned in a previous post that I’ve always been a dreamer and while there are creative types who share the gift (or curse—I… Read more »
There are many fringe benefits that come with being a writer. Coffee, for instance: no one ever judges a writer for refilling her coffee mug, or for possessing large quantities of pens and notebooks, or going on a book-buying spree for “research” purposes. But there’s one big negative that can affect our health, happiness and… Read more »
