I’ve discussed querying in the past, and I’ve also mentioned the manuscript-mincing site Query Shark. Since I’m back at the point of sending out queries to agent, I think it’s worth reheating the subject. Query letters are at once the most straightforward and the most complex thing a novelist can write. It’s straightforward in its… Continue reading The Query's The Thing
Category: Writing
Little Changes
Think of a favorite story of yours, or a beloved character. Chances are there are things about that story or character you take for granted. Here are some examples: Superman fights for truth, justice and the American way. Aragorn is proud of his heritage and wishes to reclaim his throne. Buffy learns of her destiny… Continue reading Little Changes
Revision's A Hatchet Job
A couple of weeks ago I touched on the subject of rewriting your novel. Wendig’s Writing Haus continues to spew fantastic advice on editing, and this mostly concerns phase two, or what he recommends as phase two. When you edit for content, after all, you’re doing something particular with the manuscript: you’re revising it. And… Continue reading Revision's A Hatchet Job
Why I Write
If you ask a writer for advice, quite a few of them will simply tell you to read. I’m reading the second novel in A Song of Ice and Fire and I may start the new year with a fresh read of Lord of the Rings. I also read articles on Fark and the Escapist.… Continue reading Why I Write
Don't Fear The Rewrite
The truth that every novelist has to face is that you’re not going to get everything right in the first draft. Nobody does. It’s likely that George Lucas wrote a single draft of his prequel scripts, and look how those turned out. No, multiple drafts is more than just a means of editing out grammar… Continue reading Don't Fear The Rewrite
Cultivating Characters
This is related to a post I made a few months ago regarding expository writing but it’s on my mind since my wife and I just finished watching (or rather re-watching) the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I’d borrowed the extended editions from my mother, as my copies are elsewhere. Anyway, this if Faramir. In… Continue reading Cultivating Characters
Welcome to Scrivener: Getting Results
So how did NaNoWriMo go? If you participated, that is. It’s my hope that, if you did, you’re looking at a somewhat complete & coherent manuscript. Maybe you’re still working on writing yours – if so, don’t fret. Rome wasn’t built in a day, as they say. On the other hand, if you did finish,… Continue reading Welcome to Scrivener: Getting Results
The Free Fiction Section
I think I’ve needed to do this for a while. I fancy myself a writer of speculative fiction. Sure, I’ll write non-fiction articles, read & edit the work of others, even toil in fields completely unrelated to writing. But my first and foremost desire is to use my grasp of language and imagination to provide… Continue reading The Free Fiction Section
Habits & Dreams
Some personal stuff related to writing and my life in general follows. Maybe this stuff will be useful to somebody else, and I apologize in advance if you choose to click the spoiler link and find the following text empty, useless or pointless. [spoiler]There are some habits that are good to get rid of. Excessive… Continue reading Habits & Dreams
Be A Pitch Machine
This is going to be yet another one of those “advice I should follow myself before I dispense it” posts. I, like many other authors, have been rejected far more often than I’ve been accepted. From big publishing houses to small press folks, I’ve heard the word NO at least a dozen times before hearing… Continue reading Be A Pitch Machine
