David Farland's Latest Writing Tips
Negative Description
Sometimes when describing a thing, it is almost easier to describe what it is not.
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.
6 Ways to Spot a Fake Review
I sometimes wonder what God would say if He were to release new commandments to writers. I think that the first commandment might be something like this:
Thou shalt not post fake reviews of novels that thou hast not read.
Dealing with Fraud
Do you know a phony when you meet one? In the world of writing a publishing it can be hard to know if a deal is TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, so here are three ways to help you deal with fraud.
What Kind of Writing Career would You Like?
Do you go to college? Do you study English literature? Most of us writers do, but I know writers who are software programmers or engineers, and they do just fine, too?
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.
Switching Gears
Sometimes as writers, when we give writing advice, we often give advice by telling “How I write” instead of “How to write.”
How to Attract an Editor Part Two
As a writer, I have my job to do. I create works of art, and then let the editors judge whether I have done it well enough for publication. That’s your job, too.
How to Attract an Editor
When you as an author are looking for a publisher, you need to know the hierarchy of a company. When you meet an editor, you need to know, “Am I talking to a real decision-maker here, or am I wasting my time?”
Writing Dystopias Part Two
The best dystopian settings arouse realistic fears in the reader. In other words, the author studies the world as it is today, and very often will look at social conditions and consider, “If this goes on, how will the world change when Writing Dystopias?”
Writing Dystopias
A lot of people are wondering why dystopias are so popular. They haven’t realized that they’ve always been popular.
Defining Yourself
It’s always good before you begin to write to really understand who your audience is and that they’re needs are, so that you can better meet those needs. But it’s also important to understand who you are as an author, and what it is that you want to achieve.
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.
Fluttering
Have you ever watched a butterfly in flight and tried to figure out where it will go next? The butterfly will soar three feet in the air, veer left, drop, veer right. It will look as if it’s heading for a flower, then land on a rock.
Of course, it is biologically programmed to do that. It makes it hard for a predator to catch the butterfly when the predator can’t figure out where it is going.
Telescoping Penetration
So often as new authors, we’re trained to approach such problems indirectly. We try to sneak around and find some way to describe our character obliquely. But the truth is that sometimes the best alternative is to simply be blunt.
Negative Description
Sometimes when describing a thing, it is almost easier to describe what it is not.
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.
6 Ways to Spot a Fake Review
I sometimes wonder what God would say if He were to release new commandments to writers. I think that the first commandment might be something like this:
Thou shalt not post fake reviews of novels that thou hast not read.
Dealing with Fraud
Do you know a phony when you meet one? In the world of writing a publishing it can be hard to know if a deal is TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, so here are three ways to help you deal with fraud.
What Kind of Writing Career would You Like?
Do you go to college? Do you study English literature? Most of us writers do, but I know writers who are software programmers or engineers, and they do just fine, too?
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.
Switching Gears
Sometimes as writers, when we give writing advice, we often give advice by telling “How I write” instead of “How to write.”
How to Attract an Editor Part Two
As a writer, I have my job to do. I create works of art, and then let the editors judge whether I have done it well enough for publication. That’s your job, too.
How to Attract an Editor
When you as an author are looking for a publisher, you need to know the hierarchy of a company. When you meet an editor, you need to know, “Am I talking to a real decision-maker here, or am I wasting my time?”
Writing Dystopias Part Two
The best dystopian settings arouse realistic fears in the reader. In other words, the author studies the world as it is today, and very often will look at social conditions and consider, “If this goes on, how will the world change when Writing Dystopias?”
Writing Dystopias
A lot of people are wondering why dystopias are so popular. They haven’t realized that they’ve always been popular.
Defining Yourself
It’s always good before you begin to write to really understand who your audience is and that they’re needs are, so that you can better meet those needs. But it’s also important to understand who you are as an author, and what it is that you want to achieve.
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.
Fluttering
Have you ever watched a butterfly in flight and tried to figure out where it will go next? The butterfly will soar three feet in the air, veer left, drop, veer right. It will look as if it’s heading for a flower, then land on a rock.
Of course, it is biologically programmed to do that. It makes it hard for a predator to catch the butterfly when the predator can’t figure out where it is going.
Telescoping Penetration
So often as new authors, we’re trained to approach such problems indirectly. We try to sneak around and find some way to describe our character obliquely. But the truth is that sometimes the best alternative is to simply be blunt.
