Where Bad Writers Turn Good
Mark Twain famously advised writers to "write what you know." While this isn't bad advise, it isn't the only advise writers can benefit from. Read for ten more pieces of great advise on what writers can and should write about.
Writing dialogue isn't always easy, and it doesn't come natural to all writers. Here are some basic Do's and Don'ts for writing dialogue to help you refine your dialogue-writing skills.
What Is It Doing? Writing Nature and Landscape by Fiona M Jones Here’s a little story, “How to Write Nature Poems,” that first appeared in Hey Mrs. Winkler as part of a series of meta-fiction micros. Hannah wrote stuff about nature. Not poetry, exactly—just stuff. She’d walk through the rain and ask what the rain... Continue Reading →
In reading numerous works on the writing process and receiving advice from other writers based on their own personal writing habits, I have heard numerous renditions on what up-coming or potential writers must do to cross the threshold into actualized writers. These examples tend to take a dogmatic approach to the process. For example, an established writer will say one, absolute method exists in order to write, which usually just happens to be the method that particular writer uses. I disagree with this. Even if I find the advice helpful, I disagree with the necessity of strict adherence to any singular process.
One of the jokes about being a writer is trying to explain the search history on your computer. I know I’ve fallen victim to this stereotype, thanks to the genres I write. Whether it’s getting details about a location, the effects of certain medications, or the decomposition rate of the human body, writers use this... Continue Reading →
Dialogue has got to be one of the most difficult things to write, but it can also be one of the most rewarding. Well written dialogue can paint a very detailed picture of your character’s personality and can really help your readers to lose themselves in your story. It can also move the plot forward... Continue Reading →
Around writing circles we always hear the same question about writing bilingual and multicultural characters: when and how do people slip from their mother tongue into their second language? As someone with Spanish as their first language and who is involved in a deeply multicultural border city in Mexico, I can assure you that the... Continue Reading →
Tools for Developing Characters Many tools exist to help you craft believable and engaging characters. Below you’ll find some of the best I’ve encountered and a very helpful technique called the secret snapshot approach which can help you discover and reveal your character’s inner most self in a way which readers will love. Sliding... Continue Reading →
The fantasy genre is rich with imagined monsters, creatures, and beasts. Creations which haunt our dreams and make us walk that little bit faster after dark. This article will first look at a few of the more common monsters before exploring ways to help you become Dr Frankenstein.
Writers always hear “Show don’t tell!” I remember as a newbie that phrase would be thrown at me, and I would frown at my screen every time.
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