Q: “So how do you write a novel?” A: “One word at a time.” I’ve always hated that quote, but it does ring true in a certain sense. When you sit down to write, you’ve got two options: Write. Don’t write. If you want to write a novel, you have to lock yourself down and […]
Getting to the second draft
Whoever said writing isn’t easy was actually lying. Writing, by itself, isn’t a complicated act. All you need is a computer (or a pen and paper) and a daydream. Anyone can daydream. Writers simply put those daydreams on paper. It might take a little bit of time to get started. You might have some sort […]
Has reading gone out of style?
Think about some of your favorite authors. What makes them your favorite? If you’re anything like me, you want something that is easy to read, has engaging characters, and a coherent plot. Throw in a little suspense, a colorful setting, and maybe even some social commentary if you’re into that sort of thing. In other […]
Six Writing Scams To Look Out For
Scammers are everywhere. It’s not uncommon to see emails, sometimes ones that look fairly legit, trying to trick you into clicking on a link and entering personal or financial information. Fortunately, in most cases, we know what to do to protect ourselves from this stuff. Double-check the URL you’re logging into, don’t download attachments from […]
3 questions (about your book) to ask yourself right now
Writing is book is hard, but the really difficult stuff comes after it’s finished. After the editing, revising, rewriting, and cleanup, you’ve still got nothing but a book. Your next step is to get the novel to readers, and hopefully make some money doing so. When it comes to publishing, you’ve basically got three options: […]
But who the heck cares?
Any of us who can still remember elementary school are familiar with the questions of description: “Who? What? When? Where? Why? (and sometimes How?)” As writers, we pretty much ask ourselves most, if not all, of these questions whenever we create a new story or setting. And that’s all great, but there is another question […]
3 Pitfalls of Writing in the First person
How often do you write a story in the first person that feels so real–so natural–that after you finish you are certain that you have completed a near-perfect work of art? If you’re a newer writer, this feeling might be quite common when you first start writing with the first person narrative. It’s pretty enticing […]
Self-critique of my first page
I opened up the first draft of a novel that has been sitting on my computer untouched for the last couple of years and started looking it over. The good news is that is a good story. It’s a fun read and I’m looking forward to start working on it again. I’m hoping to have […]