Still scrambling and running behind, but the end is in sight… … Okay. If you have a fashion sense or do costuming, ignore this. This is not for you. You’re a writer, and you’re going to a writer function. How do you dress? It seems like some writers have this down, in a way that […]
This is part of a series on how to study fiction, mainly directed at writers who have read all the beginning writing books and are like, “What now?!?” The rest of the series is here. … I’d like to take a moment to interject something that came up in the middle of writing these posts.
This is part of a series on how to study fiction, mainly directed at writers who have read all the beginning writing books and are like, “What now?!?” The rest of the series is here. … Resources related to productivity/speed issues: Look for good general productivity, happiness, and habit-changing books and websites, like The Seven Habits
How to Study Fiction, Part 5: Productivity and Speed, Part 3 Read More »
This is part of a series on how to study fiction, mainly directed at writers who have read all the beginning writing books and are like, “What now?!?” The rest of the series is here. … Techniques to help handle productivity/speed issues: Discovering and resolving fear issues around writing (I’m not good enough, I’m taking
How to Study Fiction, Part 4: Productivity and Speed, Part 2 Read More »
This is part of a series on how to study fiction, mainly directed at writers who have read all the beginning writing books and are like, “What now?!?” The rest of the series is here. … Productivity and speed are key issues for intermediate writers. If you can’t get your butt in the chair and
How to Study Fiction, Part 3: Productivity and Speed, Part 1 Read More »
This is part of a series on how to study fiction, mainly directed at writers who have read all the beginning writing books and are like, “What now?!?” The rest of the series is here. … UPDATE: I’m rearranging some of the pieces in the list below, both to move things around and to add
New series! I’ve been studying fiction with a scalpel and a jeweler’s lens for a few years now, and I’ve found it immensely helpful. I’m going to cheat a little and use most of a post that I typed up for the pacing series, which you can find here. The issues are the same 🙂
How to Study Fiction, Part 1: Welcome to Intermediate Writing! Read More »
I’m working on a series on pacing. You can see other posts in the series here. … There’s still a lot more to cover on pacing, but now you’ve been introduced to the idea that pacing can work on pretty much every level (even high levels, as in the beginnings examples), so I’ll wrap things up
I’m working on a series on pacing. You can see other posts in the series here. … Do you need a prologue? Are you allowed to have one? Beginning writers are often advised to avoid prologues. In fact, they’re often advised to avoid a lot of things that annoy editors and agents when handled badly. But
Pacing, Part 15: Prologues (with Agatha Christie) Read More »
I’m working on a series on pacing. You can see other posts in the series here. … Beginnings don’t have to start with summary; they can start with demonstration. The demonstration should involve the setting more than it does anything else. You might pull off extremely minor actions or dialogue, but try just using setting first. It’s
