Artists come in all shapes and sizes. Some paint, some create music, others bring out the statues held captive by blocks of stone and still others start with blank pages to create new worlds and memorable characters. But regardless of the art involved, all artists need to face an unfortunate and ugly truth. Not everything… Continue reading This Is Gonna Suck
Category: Writing
The Right Person
One of the concerns I have about my major rewrite is the person. Not the person of the protagonist himself, mind you. He’s (probably) fine. It’s the perspective that bothers me. You see, I wrote Citizen in the Wilds from third-person perspective to avoid pouring myself too much into the protagonist. I may be overly… Continue reading The Right Person
Drifting Between Words
I hear the hammers. Chisels sound like they’re working rocks over. It’s the sound of Chuck Wendig chipping away at the preconceptions and sorry excuses that cake around the thick skull of the writer especially after a binge of wordsmithing like NaNoWriMo. He gave me a gift on my birthday, the gift of cold wisdom,… Continue reading Drifting Between Words
Regarding Ms. Lane
Laundry nights at the Sheppard’s1 have become a good place to get caught up on movies, especially in the superhero genre. Being brought up as a nerd, I do have at least a passing familiarity with many a costumed crimefighter, and recently our friends reintroduced us to the cinematic renditions of one of the most… Continue reading Regarding Ms. Lane
Proper Pacing
I’ve mentioned in medias res previously. It’s a great way to get your audience into the swing of the story and can cut down on overwrought exposition. However, no matter how breakneck the pace of the opening, you don’t necessarily have to pound the metaphorical pavement from start to finish. You can’t spend all of… Continue reading Proper Pacing
Don't Go Easy
While working on the revision for the fantasy novel, I realized something that’d passed me by on my previous edits. Well, I say ‘revision’ but mostly what I’m doing is falling under ‘rewrite’. I’m taking large chunks of my old draft, keeping what works, and cutting out what doesn’t. There’s a brand-new opening for our… Continue reading Don't Go Easy
The Dark Depths of Writing
Courtesy Floating Robes You can’t say I haven’t warned you. Living with writers is a tricky business at times. Look here, here and here for some of the proof. Over and above any cautionary tale you might here from the trenches is a deeper truth that is ever-present but rarely discussed. Writers, especially creators of… Continue reading The Dark Depths of Writing
How to Survive Living with a Writer
Courtesy Floating Robes One of the most popular posts ever over at terribleminds is this one, entitled “Beware of Writer.” He also penned a sequel that’s just as worthwhile to read. But let’s say you’ve ignored his advice. You’re going to fly in the face of common sense and good taste and actually shack up… Continue reading How to Survive Living with a Writer
Show (Don't Tell) Your Work
Staring the month with a little advice. So NaNoWriMo is beginning and a lot of you out there are taking freshly-sharpened pencils to blank pages. This next month is going to be full of inspiration, frustration, erasures, crossed-out words, broken tips and lots of caffeinated beverages. I wish you the best of luck. Related to… Continue reading Show (Don't Tell) Your Work
Show, Don't Tell
You’re going to see this, a lot, if you’re starting out or struggling as a writer and you get up the gumption to put your work in front of the eyes of another human being. Show, don’t tell. At the most basic level, it means you should always have characters doing things and events happening… Continue reading Show, Don't Tell
