Courtesy Floating Robes There are a couple of truisms that I feel apply to every writer, regardless of genre or style: 1) You write what you know. 2) There’s no drama without conflict. Following this line of thought, the best writing comes from conflict with which we’re familiar. I’ve yet to meet a person who… Continue reading A Writer's Distance
Category: Writing
Know Your Fear
I find it amusing when people say they aren’t afraid of anything. I have to wonder if they’d maintain that notion if they were alone in a diving suit down in the Marianas Trench. Most people I know would be unnerved by the very notion of being entirely alone with nothing but angler fish for… Continue reading Know Your Fear
Beyond Skin Deep
The characters we create are, ideally, more than their looks. Sure, we spend time putting together a certain look for a character. I know when Guild Wars 2 is booted up on my machine, I’ll be spending quite a bit of time in its character creator, customizing eye colors and cheekbone height and whatnot. But… Continue reading Beyond Skin Deep
Up And Coming
Thought I’d change it up from the usual anonymous pen. I’ve mentioned that I, like many writers, have difficulty focusing at times. I know that, in spite of the time occupied by the dayjob, writing must happen. I’ve been ramping up because of several projects I want to complete in the very near future and… Continue reading Up And Coming
Fan Fiction Is Not Evil
That little piece I wrote yesterday for Chuck’s latest challenge is fan fiction. I’m comfortable with that. I don’t think there’s really anything wrong with fan fiction, per se, and I’ve discussed it in the past. I think there’s something wrong with it, though, when it’s done badly. I know that fan fiction can carry… Continue reading Fan Fiction Is Not Evil
Master of None
Remember when the Bard class was included with the basic ruleset for Dungeons & Dragons? Those were the days. When you wanted to be pretty good at just about everything without over-specializing in beating up bad guys or attacking the darkness with magic missile, you chose the Bard. The downside to that choice is why… Continue reading Master of None
Delicious Humble Pie
Let it not be said that I am unwilling to eat humble pie. Last week I wrote a post about writing what you want, especially if something seems problematic or simply not very good to you. I wasn’t saying to stop writing because it’s hard, as we all from time to time must deal with… Continue reading Delicious Humble Pie
Write What You Want
Let’s keep it simple. Should you finish what you start? Yes. If you’re braining yourself on a wall, should you continue? No. Let’s say you’re me and you’re trying to stay on top of this whole writing thing while about a bazillion other things are going on. Dayjob, domicile maintenance, restocking pantries, getting fresh booze.… Continue reading Write What You Want
Drilling Fundamentals
You hear this sort of thing all the time in regular sports. “We have to work on our fundamentals.” For the most part, this refers to striking, catching or otherwise working with a ball. Things like overarching strategy and specific on-field composition will matter, sure, but they matter a lot less if you’re not getting… Continue reading Drilling Fundamentals
Writers Have Attention Deficit… Ooh, Shiny!
So I’ve been reading Double Dead, which you should be doing if you’re a fan of vampires, zombies or the writing styles of Chuck Wendig. I noticed it was part of something called “Tomes of the Dead”. Flipping to the back of the book, as I bought a physical copy instead of the perfectly viable… Continue reading Writers Have Attention Deficit… Ooh, Shiny!
