I have ideas in my scrapheap that aren’t exactly the worst notions in the world. In fact, some of them might turn into something great someday–but...
A Premise Without a Plot
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writing
RPGs: the Fantasy Author’s Gateway Drug to Writing
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...
Level Up Your Writing: Words Are Experience Points
Are you a good writer? Want to get better? Well, you'd better get out there and earn more XP. Whatever innate talent and ability you think you have,...
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...
3 Tips to Remove Yourself From Your Dialogue
Have you ever read a book where every character sounds the same? How about one where the main character has a set of beliefs that they work into...
The 3 P’s That Will Help Your Writing Career
More people want careers in writing than actually have them. Many are trying to bridge the gap between wanting and having. There is no magic formula...
Crazy Fandom
There is something admirable in taking something to its fullest extent, then saying to yourself, "no, that's still not quite far enough." I was...
Writing Update 4/4/14
Just a quick update on what I've been up to lately. Rebel Skyforce is still with my editor. I don't expect to have it back for revisions until...
Outlining for Writers Who Don’t Outline
You're a pantser, a gardener, whatever you want to call it. You don't want to spend days/weeks/months spinning your wheels planning out your novel...
Xeno’s Finish Line
Have you ever been close to finished with something for so long that it feels like you'll never actually be finished with it? "Almost done," you...
NaNoWriMo 2013 Kickoff
Well, it's that time of year again: National Novel Writing Month, affectionately known at NaNoWriMo. It's a time for writers and would-be writers to...
7 Deadly Sins of Fantasy Writing
Writers make mistakes. They're human after all, and that's why there are editors. Some transgressions go beyond mere mistake, however, and reach the...
Off-Camera Antics
Books and movies share a common element in storytelling: Point of View. The camera or the narrator of a scene (whether it be a character or a third...
Using Multiple Points of View (POV)
"many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view" - Obi-Wan Kenobi The story you tell will take on the flavor of whoever is...
One-Word Metaphors: Stretching Words to Their Limits
"The waves lapped the sandy shore. Overhead, the stars twinkled cheerily. A bank of clouds rolled in and a driving rain chased us from the beach. We...
Whimsy or Physics? The Hidden Rules of Magic
Magic is one of the defining characteristics of fantasy. Whether you are looking at "high" or "low" magic, it's going to be in there somewhere (I'm...
Writing Unforgettable Scenes
Forgettable (adj.): Easily forgotten, esp. through being uninteresting or mediocre. Ick. No one wants that for their writing. One of the best ways...
Showing: How Not To Tell
Everything you ever read about writing advises you: "show, don't tell". It's great advice as far as it goes. You don't want to lecture to your...
Spoilers: Your Own Worst Enemy
There are few people in this world that like spoilers. When we see a movie or a TV show, or we read a book, we want to experience all the twists and...
Agendas and Motivations
What is the difference between a character who is little more than window dressing for a story and one who is vibrant and realistic? The idea that...
Write Like a Bulldozer
There is a direction that bulldozers go. That direction is called "forward". When you consider vehicles that can look to a point some ways off and...
How to Kill (Your Characters)
The worlds we write can be dark and dangerous places. In many cases, these dangers are a key element of the plot. Sword fights, monster attacks,...
Earth: A Failure of World-Building
There are many elements that go into making a world fit for fantasy storytelling. World-building is a skill any good fantasy writer needs to...
Speech: The High Road and the Low Road
You hear a voice over the phone, a complete stranger. Within moments there are a lot of things you can tell about that person on the other end, even...