Appealing to the Senses, Part 2
Recently I wrote about appealing to the senses and stated that humans have more than just the five sensory inputs that you learned in school. Any time that you use a human viewpoint character as a “camera,” you need to be appealing to the senses. You should input the character’s thoughts and feelings as well, […]
Super Writers’ Bundle
The Super Writers’ Bundle By International and New York Times Best Selling Author David Farland Get all of the writing courses you need to kickstart your writing career! Brainstorm your world, characters, and conflicts Outline the plot scene by scene Plot for maximum impact Compose mesmerizing fiction Market to a wide audience Edit like a […]
How to Start Publishing a Novel
So you have written a book, maybe a novel. How do you start publishing it so readers will be able to find it? And why is it so hard and complicated? Because there is no perfect way in which to hack or game the publishing industry.
How to Bore an Editor to Death
Last week I got sepsis, a serious infection that is carried through the body by the blood, and landed in the hospital. Not wanting to waste time just lying around, I decided to work on judging for the Writers of the Future with my handy laptop, and from reading hundreds of stories, listed some ways […]
The Curse of the Blank Page
Every new writer, and quite a few old ones, is familiar with that sinking feeling that happens when you start a new tale and wonder, “Where do I begin?” Many times when I’m judging a story for Writers of the Future, I’ll come upon a story that seems somehow malformed. The writing is great, but […]
Writing the Impossible
When I fell in love with the idea of writing, it was after reading my favorite novel of all time. I thought, I want to write stories like that, not realizing how big my dream really was. You see, when I meet new authors, I almost always find that they hope to write great works, […]
Poetics
Once I was rewriting a scene, listening closely to the sound and rhythm of the words in a passage, looking for ways to strengthen it, and it made me wonder: how many new writers take the proper care with their words? How many truly listen? There are a number of ways to show that you’re […]
Motivation vs. Habit
On the door at my gym, someone hung a sign that says, “Motivation is what gets you started. Habit keeps you going.” I began working out regularly over 20 years ago. Since then, I’ve dropped about 75 pounds, and I’ve run or walked something in neighborhood of 22,000 miles. I can’t even imagine how much I’ve […]
Be Excited
The most productive writers, I’ve noticed, aren’t necessarily the ones with the most talent or the greatest skills. They may not be the most physically fit or even the most motivated. The most productive writers are the ones who get excited by their work. What do I mean by “getting excited”? Quite simply this. To […]
Taking Ownership of an Idea
As the lead judge for one of the world’s largest writing contests, I read a lot of stories. Very seldom do I see a completely unique concept for a tale. For example, I see a lot of stories that have vampires or werewolves or superheroes in them. I see tales about interstellar races, cloning, haunted […]
