If each scene you write doesn't have a goal, an obstacle, a physical action, a physical reaction, an emotional reaction, and a direct arrow leading to what happens next, then you've got problems.
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From a Certain Point of View
From a Certain Point of View is a janky, fast slow, exciting mundane, mess of utterly delightful stories. Writers can read it and remember that every character is a work in progress with origin and destination and self-importance too. Everyone can read it and look a little more carefully at strangers in traffic or in the grocery store or on the side walk and remember that their experience is just as real and vital as your own.
How to (stay motivated to) Write (consistently)
TLDR: Don't set arbitrary goals. Use music to find a flow. Ignore my advice and find what works best for you. It's hard to write with the constant barrage of horrifying news: protesters disappearing in Hong Kong, protesters attacked by police in the US, a rash of lynchings dismissed as suicide, politicization of a deadly… Continue reading How to (stay motivated to) Write (consistently)
The Snowflake Method
TLDR: Planning a novel isn't any easier than writing one, but it might save you time in the long run. I was once a curmudgeonly writer like you. Writing is fun, I said! Creating is fun! Planning? That takes all the fun and surprise out of it. And it wasn't like I hadn't tried the… Continue reading The Snowflake Method
Awe-full: The Empire Strikes Back
The Empire Strikes Back was on TV, or perhaps VHS when I was in day care at the house of a friend of my mother's. The TV was usually on as background noise and a distraction for us kids. I was eating lunch at the time. PB&J? Grilled cheese? What I was eating at the… Continue reading Awe-full: The Empire Strikes Back
Book Review: John Scalzi’s Interdependency Trilogy
The Interdependency Trilogy by John Scalzi, including: The Collapsing Empire, The Consuming Fire, and The Last Emperox is a set of fast paced scifi political thrillers full of great characters and snappy dialogue. https://youtu.be/wgoZpwR0nIg "It was just a dream.""In our line of business, there's no such thing. Emperox's never just dream they have visions. That's… Continue reading Book Review: John Scalzi’s Interdependency Trilogy
Did Not Finish: Personal Stakes
A story is nothing without personal stakes. No matter how villainous the villain, or how lofty the goal, it doesn't matter to the reader unless it matters personally to the characters. In this post, I pick on a particular example of a book I did not finish because the life-and-death stakes didn't matter to the… Continue reading Did Not Finish: Personal Stakes
Book Review: The Martian
The Martian by Andy Weir is a fast and fun thriller about survival through hope, grit, and human ingenuity. It is packed with quite a bit of science, but give it a chance! The charm will win you over. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jl3IZjUUztM Teddy swiveled his chair and looked out the window to the sky beyond. Night was… Continue reading Book Review: The Martian
Book Review: Prince of Nothing & Aspect Emperor
If you like grimdark fantasy then surely you've already heard of R. Scott Bakker's trilogy: The Prince of Nothing, and subsequent quadrilogy: The Aspect Emperor. But if you like fantasy at all and you've got a strong stomach, you need to read these books. There is nothing out there that comes close to matching the… Continue reading Book Review: Prince of Nothing & Aspect Emperor
Author Conversation: Marie Parks & Jessi Honard
Talented and humble co-authors of Unrelenting, Marie Parks and Jessi Honard sit down with me to talk writing, inspiration, fan fiction, and Gant charts. What's not to love? https://youtu.be/T75kU-Ukhis Check the video description for links to particular time stamps. Unrelenting is available here: https://www.amazon.com/Unrelenting-Jessi-Honard-ebook/dp/B09VF5CKVZ/ Crew of Exiles is available here: https://www.amazon.com/Crew-Exiles-Neal-Holtschulte-ebook/dp/B0BH5BGGK9/
Haste Writing 