This past weekend, I got together with the same group of guys I've been gaming with since the mid-'90s for some tabletop D&D action. Even though...
RPGs: the Fantasy Author’s Gateway Drug to Writing
read more
Prose and Cons
Worldbuilding: Cultural Values
What separates one culture from another. It's more than clothes and language, though those are important for making them look and feel distinct from...
When to Start Worldbuilding
One question that an aspiring worldbuilder is going to ask is when to start. Can you build a world without knowing anything about the story you're...
How to Write Ensemble Scenes
Writing a scene with one character is simple. Two isn't much harder, and introduces the possibility of conversation. Even three characters in a...
What Does it Take to Make Your Book Into an Audiobook?
Audio is a great way to reach readers who prefer listening over reading, or those who spend a lot of time on cars, in trains, or otherwise on the...
Writing Prompts 3
Looking to write but can't think what to write about? Here are five more writing prompts to give you an idea to build around. 1 - Aliens have made...
4 Tips to Get Ready for NaNoWriMo
November 1 kicks off the annual writing extravaganza known as National Novel Writing Month (or more commonly, NaNoWriMo). With a goal of 50,000...
The 3 Writing Rules I Break All the Time
You hear the advice everywhere. It gets pronounced from high upon soap boxes, repeated as gospel, and heeded often without thinking. It makes for a...
When to Stop Worldbuilding and Start Writing
There are two common problems I hear when people are having trouble with their worldbuilding. One camp is overwhelmed by the task, the other unable...
Why Fiction Writers Are Crazy
Fiction writers are crazy. The non-fiction sorts can get away with having a normal outlook, describing things that exist and events that happened....
Writing an Episodic Series
I've written a series of long books. I've written one of more "standard" length books. But my current series is comprised of long novellas. I did...
Self-Editing for Continuity
One of the biggest mistakes a writer can make is a break in continuity. Immersion grinds to a halt, the reader does a double-take, and if...
Series Mentality
Write one book, and you can feel confident in calling yourself an author. Write three, and you might make a career out of it yet. Write a dozen,...
Worldbuilding: the Gift that Keeps on Taking
"I'm working on a story, but I'm stuck on the worldbuilding." I've heard some variant of this enough times that I felt the need to do...
Who Is Your Protagonist?
When you write, you're bound to end up with a protagonist or two along the way (it would be a good trick not to!). Understanding your plot and how...
Editing Dialogue: When the Rules Become Suggestions
I have written characters that speak like kings and professors. Perfect diction. Perfect use of vocabulary. Perfect grammar. This is fine for...
An Author is a Ventriloquist
'Never let the audience see your lips move.' To a ventriloquist, this seems like obvious advice. But to an author, it can be equally valuable. Part...
This is Why We Have Editors
I use commas the way the B29 dropped bombs: let them loose to fall where they may, and hope they land where you want them. I can't spell names I...
7 Types of Villains
Not every hero has a villain. A hero can battle faceless foes, the environment, or even his own inner demons, but if you want to write about heroic...
5 Self-Editing Tips for Maintaining Point of View (POV)
It's common for stories to be told from multiple points of view. It allows you, as a writer, to explore and show different sides to a conflict. It...
Divide and conquer: Collaborative author platform building strategies for self-published authors
This week I'm introducing a guest feature from my publisher / wife. Since she handles the majority of the business, it's an opportunity for you...
How to Handle Surprises
Most people like surprises. For this discussion, we're going to ignore the ones who don't. We're also going to skip discussing unpleasant surprises,...
3 Tips on How to Write a Setting
Without a setting, your story takes place on a blank stage, with characters and actions without a backdrop. But how to go about presenting your...
5 More Self-Editing Tips
A while back a gave a list of tips for authors who wanted to edit their own work before sending it out to an editor. Well, here are 5 more tips for...