No. 42/100 flash fiction stories I've heard so much about the questions that humans ask. The Source says they're unnecessary, sometimes dangerous. If I could wonder, I would wonder what a question feels like. But I don't wonder. I obey. Data comes to me, sorting itself neatly in front of my eyes. I process and understand … Continue reading The Question – a sci-fi flash fiction story
fiction writing
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
The Impossible Inhabitant: A sci-fi flash fiction story
Original version of the story posted on October 9, 2020 It was as if someone had taken the biggest glass bowl in the universe and dropped it on top of a planet. This specific planet’s surface was covered with thick blue marshes, meaning that when the glass bowl shattered, the pieces stuck fast in the … Continue reading The Impossible Inhabitant: A sci-fi flash fiction story
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
The Floating Festival – A fantasy short story
Participating in the Writer's Games last year taught me so much about my writing habits in the short span of a month and gave me tons of great material to work with - even though I was only able to submit one practice story. Since most of the stories I wrote were really close to … Continue reading The Floating Festival – A fantasy short story
Do You Really Know Your Book’s Genre?
After working with authors from all over the world on many kinds of different story projects, I've seen a common theme. Many times, they present me with their masterpiece and I can instantly tell that the writing is good - but something is missing from the story. Something very important. Maybe there's no character development, a … Continue reading Do You Really Know Your Book’s Genre?
You’re Going to Hate Writing Your Book – But Here’s How You Keep Going
The slump is coming, but you can get past it. Nearly every writer faces the same hurdle when penning a brand new shiny book. Somewhere in the middle of the process, we lose motivation. We get stuck. The words won't come. We get writer's block. We get bored. Whatever you want to call it, it's … Continue reading You’re Going to Hate Writing Your Book – But Here’s How You Keep Going
The Story Canvas 