Look, no matter what anyone says, writing is hard. There are so many things to think of, it takes tons of practice to get it right, and even when you know everything there is to know about writing, there’s still more to learn. Because yes, even in this age of “anything goes,” I believe there’s … Continue reading Instantly Up Your Writing Game with These 5 Small Things
books
“Is it okay to like bad stories?”
As someone who pushes relentlessly for better storytelling in the world, this is a question I get asked quite often. Sometimes, people ask it as a trick question—if I say yes, then they ask why good storytelling is so important. If I were to say no, they would inevitably find out that there are "bad" … Continue reading “Is it okay to like bad stories?”
How Not to Write a First Draft
When it comes to writing first drafts, there's ultimately no right or wrong way to do it as long as you have a finished draft at the end of it. I believe that because we're all different, we all have different ways of achieving our writing goals. That being said, we can adopt some bad … Continue reading How Not to Write a First Draft
Reblog: How to Work With Beta Readers by A Writer’s Path
There is no one secret to producing a good book. Hard work, patience, more hard work, dogged determination, and did I mention hard work? Yet it is so worth it. And, the more I write, the more I value one particular asset every writer should have. Beta readers! Beta readers are wonderful. Sometimes they are […] … Continue reading Reblog: How to Work With Beta Readers by A Writer’s Path
Why You Need to Know the Purpose of Your Book
In every non-fiction writing course you will ever take, one of the first things your instructor will ask you about is your "why." In other words: what's your purpose for writing this book? They say it's the first step in writing and marketing a successful book. But here's my question: why aren't fiction writers asked … Continue reading Why You Need to Know the Purpose of Your Book
Why Writers Should Watch TV
"Stay away from screens - they rot your brain!" everyone cries. And this is certainly true - getting too much screen time day after day brings a slew of terrible side effects for both mental and physical health. But, just like most activities, watching TV isn't inherently bad (unless, well, what you're watching is inherently … Continue reading Why Writers Should Watch TV
Have I Discovered the Perfect Plotting Method for Pantsers?
Pantsers, where are you? Hooray for having no idea what we're doing! That's what I always thought being a pantser meant. When I penned books in my younger years, I never even touched an outline. I thought I simply didn't need one - I could write a book from beginning to end flawlessly. But I've … Continue reading Have I Discovered the Perfect Plotting Method for Pantsers?
What We Learn from a Character’s First Scenes in The Force Awakens
May the Fourth be with you! It's no secret that I'm a Star Wars nerd. As I talked about last month, Star Wars shaped me both as a person and a writer as I was growing up. Love or hate certain parts of it, there's no doubt that Star Wars has, in all likelihood, the … Continue reading What We Learn from a Character’s First Scenes in The Force Awakens
Elantris: Do’s and Don’ts at the Beginning of a Book
If you've been keeping up with stuff for the past year or two, you might have heard of Brandon Sanderson (you know, the guy who broke Kickstarter?). You might have even read some of my posts about his books, as I've been reading through them for the past year or so. Sanderson is a fantastic … Continue reading Elantris: Do’s and Don’ts at the Beginning of a Book
Currently Reading…
I'll be honest with you - I don't have a review for today. Suddenly moving last month really threw off my schedule, so while I am in the process of reading and watching some stories I've been wanting to write reviews on, I have to play a bit of catch up. But just so that … Continue reading Currently Reading…
The Story Canvas 