How to Put Your Story Into Motion
When describing anything—a setting, a character, or even a conflict—consider ways that you might bring that thing to life by describing both its past and its future.
How Big is Your Pond?
Many new authors feel torn between two loves. They might ask, “Should I write science fiction, or should I focus more on young adult novels? Which way should I go?” There are three answers to this question.
Writing Dystopias
A lot of people are wondering why dystopias are so popular. They haven’t realized that they’ve always been popular.
Thou Shalt Not Kill
So people die in my stories, but I think that to have them die without causing an uproar among fans, perhaps it is best to look at them by “category.” There are lots of different kinds of characters in your story—heroes, sidekicks, lovers, villains, jesters, and so on.
Taking it Up a Notch
Each of us is always struggling to reach new plateaus. I am, you are. So when you get that nagging comment, here are some areas that you might look at:
Dealing with Writer’s Block, Part Two
Every story is different and may require the author to grow or stretch in new ways, even old pros can find themselves blocked when writing.
Dealing with Writer’s Block
“When you get writer’s block, if you will go back in your story to what you wrote the day before and check your work very carefully, you’ll find that you wrote something that your subconscious mind recognizes as being utter baloney, a lie. So you have to find out where you went astray, and start writing from that point forward.”
I really think that this needs to be expanded upon, for those who feel stuck.
The Shiver Test
When you’re brainstorming a new story, how do you know that it will be good?
Writing for Lonely Readers
have you ever noticed how most of these tremendously popular books answer a protagonist’s need for companionship?
Getting Great “Word of Mouth” Advertising
as authors, all of us want to get great word of mouth advertising. It is easily the least expensive form of advertising—since it costs you nothing—and the most productive form of advertising, since it comes in the form of testimonials from people that you know, and trust, and who are more or less a lot like you.