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?
fiction
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
Reblog: Writing Tips/Insights #11: The Rewriting Process
Following on from my post on first drafts, I was going to do a post on second drafts and then so on and so forth, but after much consideration, (and … Writing Tips/Insights #11: The Rewriting Process The rewriting process looks a little different for everyone, but I love this post because the process here … Continue reading Reblog: Writing Tips/Insights #11: The Rewriting Process
A World of Horrors
Drud Yuloill, First Scout of Salore, knew he was out of his depth the moment he stepped foot on the new planet. It was night, of course, according to Kichter II regulations—this was an inhabited, intelligent planet after all. But that didn't stop the ground from melting. Drud yelped and scurried away from the ocean, … Continue reading A World of Horrors
The Stories that Shaped Me: Star Wars
How do you like Tuesdays? Specifically, what do you think of my Tuesday blog posts? I think it's beneficial to talk about good (and bad) stories so that we can learn from what others have done. Let me know your opinion in the comments! For now, I'm starting yet another new series about the stories … Continue reading The Stories that Shaped Me: Star Wars
Why Does It Matter to Tell Stories that Matter?
Why do we tell stories? You could probably give me at least a million different reasons. We tell stories to entertain, distract, raise awareness, help others, even just to make money. Everyone has their own reason. But really, every storyteller has something in common. Deep down—so deep down, in some cases, that the person doesn't … Continue reading Why Does It Matter to Tell Stories that Matter?
The Bakery: A post-apocalyptic flash fiction story
My imagination painted a view of the street as it had once been. Never quiet, always bustling. Kids running on cobblestones and weaving in between the delivery boys on their bikes. Right here, where I stood, was the bakery. You couldn't walk this street without smelling it; no wonder any other baker who set up … Continue reading The Bakery: A post-apocalyptic flash fiction story
The Magic of Encanto
It's been almost a year and a half, and everyone is still talking about not talking about Bruno. (Read the sentence again, you'll get it.) If you were around back in 2014 when the Frozen craze hit, you'll recognise the signs of an instant Disney classic. But Encanto is truly something special - it has … Continue reading The Magic of Encanto
How Do You Write a Book?
An updated version of a post from Feb. 2022 Apparently, 81% of people in the U.S. want to write a book. That's enough to say that most people want to write a book in this country, and I suspect the numbers would be pretty big in other countries, too. On the one hand, it's a … Continue reading How Do You Write a Book?
Resource: Fantasy Name Generators
I used to think I was great at coming up with names - until I realised I wasn't. At all. It took me far too long to find Fantasy Name Generators, a website that pretty much instantly solved one of my most difficult writing struggles. The name is a bit deceiving; the name generators on … Continue reading Resource: Fantasy Name Generators
The Story Canvas 