Category: Writing
-
Learning to quit
How the changing landscape of publishing means abandoning dreams It was the first time that jagged mountain let me down. I was a more avid reader in my youth. My childhood librarian led me up and down the aisles and piled fantasy books meant for adult readers in my arms.… Read the rest…
Written by
-
Character-driven vs. Plot-driven stories
If you’ve ever looked into sending queries to agents—or even just spent time reading descriptions of books—you’ve probably seen the term “character-driven story.” But what does that mean? If you’re not sure how character-driven stories and plot-driven stories are different, you’re not alone. Since this topic first came up in… Read the rest…
Written by
-
Day Eight: Five Quick Fixes for the Stalled Story
In my meandering path to becoming an author, I’ve discovered that nobody reads quite the same way that writers do. We read for pleasure, but we also read to improve our craft, gain inspiration to create our own stories, learn more about genres and themes we aren’t yet familiar with,… Read the rest…
Written by
-
Splitting projects to help them grow
New names. More words. New plans. It’s been a frustrating few months, but now that I’m getting a clear vision of what’s still to come, I’m finally feeling a little better about everything going on. If you haven’t guessed, I’m talking about my epic fantasy series, the Snakesblood Saga. Different… Read the rest…
Written by
-
Project wrap-up: Midnight Cowboy
In early June, I’d written myself into a corner in the novel I’d been working on since the beginning of the year. I knew right away that I’d failed with my outline. I didn’t have anywhere to go without making some major changes to where the story was headed. It… Read the rest…
Written by
-
How branding dates your book
Over the past few weeks, I’ve taken a lot of time out to read books. It’s been great, but in all of them I’ve picked up, I’ve noticed a recurring issue. Name-dropping brands and franchises in your book lends it a certain real-world appeal, but you encounter an immediate problem:… Read the rest…
Written by
-
Are you sure your book is finished?
It’s been a long-standing source of frustration for me as a reader: reading a book that doesn’t give me any sense of closure. In some cases, it’s small oversights, forgotten characters, plot threads that weren’t tied up to my satisfaction. And sometimes it’s something else entirely. Books need more than… Read the rest…
Written by