Browsing all articles tagged with writing advice.
Worldbuilding Through Characterization
When somebody mentions worldbuilding the first thing you’ll think of is probably a lavishly detailed map, something filled with interesting geography, the locations of important cities, and maybe a dragon in the far corner. Or perhaps what springs to mind is a family tree of noble houses that lists their connections and feuds. Maybe you’ll […]
What If… – Guest Blog by Tom Lloyd
Writing—It’s all basically the same whatever genre, right? No, of course I don’t believe that! If I did, I’d be trying to make my fortune in romance or something. There are a few reasons why I’m not (much to the disappointment of my friends, family and every person I’ve had to tell, “No, not that […]
On Planning My First Solo Author Event
Planning a book related event is stressful on all accounts, no matter if it’s a simple reading or a large writing conference. Regardless of size, the same questions remain: Will people have a good time? Does the agenda flow smoothly? Will people discover something exciting? Are there enough networking opportunities? What about food and drinks? […]
As I Learn: Or Why I Stopped Calling Myself A Pantser
Do you already know what type of writer you are? You may call yourself a discovery writer, an outliner or a mixture of both. We traditionally think of discovery writers, gardeners, and pantsers as writers who make up their stories as they go, and outliners, architects, and plotters as writers who pre-construct their plots before […]
Publishing Program at Portland State University
In early 2014, I was lucky enough to be accepted into the Master of Science in Writing: Book Publishing Program at Portland State University (PSU). I quit my day-job, moved from Alaska to Oregon, and started the program in fall 2014. That particular move was a whirlwind, by the way—driving down to Oregon with my […]
Taking Comedy Seriously
From Geoffrey Chaucer to Raymond Chandler—and a lot of people in between—all kinds of writers have used comedy to entertain and inform in their writing. Comedy can form a useful distraction from a darker story, or can take the form of a sly comment on the main action—or it can be the backbone of a […]
Worldbuilding: More Than Just Maps
When we think about worldbuilding, we tend to think of it on a grand scale: maps of continents in the front of fantasy novels, or astral charts showing rival galactic empires. But worldbuilding is deeper, and more subtle, than that. A novel can have a huge cast and be set in a huge background, but […]
Character Development: Writing Realistic Personalities & Flaws
This is the second article in our Character Development series. Click here to read the first article: Character Death and the Ultimate Sacrifice. In writing a novel, many authors are concerned about their characters’ likability. Characters are often their creator’s darlings, and the last thing authors want is for the audience to dislike what they, […]
Editing Your Writing
Editing is, in a way, the less fun counterpart to writing a novel. However, in writing fiction, the devil often is in the details, and a good edit can make the difference between a reasonable book and a brilliant one. Of course, a traditionally-published book will be edited by the publisher, and many self-published writers […]
Going to a Writer’s Convention: What You Need to Know
When thinking about science fiction and fantasy conventions—sometimes referred to as cons—the mind automatically dashes off to PAX or New York Comic Con or any one of the conventions in and around your town. You know the ones I’m talking about. The events where you cosplay your favorite characters and sit at panels listening to […]
Terry Pratchett and the Fantastical Power of Similes
Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series is celebrated by fantasy readers around the world for its wit, humour, and worldbuilding. Those who enjoy the series, myself included, cannot deny the vividness of Pratchett’s imaginary world, so magically crafted with words and so carefully balanced on the back of a turtle in space. An entire essay could be […]
Character Development: Character Death and the Ultimate Sacrifice
Killing a character in your novel is a tried and true method for advancing your plot. Allegiances are torn, revenge is sought, kingdoms fall apart. Character death feels as essential to the fantasy genre as magic—perhaps more-so. But in a narrative sense, is death really the “ultimate” sacrifice? The most effective character deaths are those […]
