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I think prologues get a bad wrap. I mean, some deserve it, but that’s because the writer used it incorrectly or didn’t pay off what was setup in the prologue. That happens all too often, which leaves readers skipping them because they aren’t useful. Some editors, writers, critics, will say Read more…
There’s nothing better than a great chase scene. Whether it be by foot or in a car (or whatever mode of transportation you like), a good chase scene can do a lot for a story and even the characters. Actually, it should do both and the good ones usually do. Read more…
I’ve been very focused on pacing as of late. Not like doom pacing around the living room thinking about the state of the world, but story-telling pacing. How structure and word choice impact the pace of action and reader enjoyment. I have no issue with the slow-burn story if it Read more…
Some have said naming a character is like naming a kid. Seems extreme to me. If you screw up a kid’s name you don’t have to live with that. I don’t have kids so my characters are more important by default. Kids or no kids, naming characters that you’ll be Read more…
Backstory! Not mine but those that authors create to give characters depth as they traverse the obstacles thrown at them in a story. That’s the backstory I’m talking about. I’m still navigating the best way to create backstory for my characters. With my first novel, HOST, I had these in Read more…
Last month I went on a little road trip with my mom to North Carolina to visit some family friends, we decided to take a little detour to West Virginia to visit the Green Bank Observatory. GBO plays a big role in my novel HOST, but while I was writing Read more…
As part of my revisit basics of writing while I pick away at my second novel, I started to explore scene transitions. In early drafts of HOST, scene transitions were not intentional for me. I think some aspects and points I hit naturally, simply from reading books you pick up Read more…
Now that I’m full steam ahead with book two (as of this writing about 30% done), I’m revisiting some basics of writing to; 1) inspire the writing process and 2) keep learning. Recently got into chapter structure and how this can shape a novel. I found there are a few Read more…
Just a note, doing the same load of laundry twice in a day doesn’t make it cleaner. But it’s a great way to not get important shit done. This is going to be a rambling rant about motivation, proceed with that knowledge. During and after the holidays I found myself Read more…
One aspect I keep hearing about being an author (or any artist really) is finding your voice. For authors, some say it takes three to four books to find. Maybe that’s true. For others, they may find it right away, either way I think it’s a natural part of the Read more…