Dynamic Setting
“The setting is like a character.” It’s a strange phrase, when you think about it, but it’s one I hear increasingly often in workshop. And so lately I’ve been wondering what people really mean by this, for setting to be “like…
Category: Writing Advice
How to Form That Writing Habit
I was heading out with the whippets for one of our first walks originating from my new condo. Next door lives a young boy who is less than enthusiastic about dogs. Since I don’t want to do further damage to…
So You Want to Write a Series: What NOT to Do
There was a time in my mid-twenties when I contemplated creating a t-shirt that read, “If you can’t be a good example, serve as a terrible warning.” On the back it would say, “Terrible Warning.” Things were not good. My…
Naming Your Characters and Your Book
My oldest brothers are twins. One of them is named after my father, the first and middle names swapped because my father decided he did not want a junior. James is named after the song, “Sweet Baby James.” Because my…
YA Wednesday: YA Authors: Please Stop Doing These Things, Why We Need More Positive Girls Portrayal in Books, Unrealistic Happenings In YA Books
I’m struggling with my novel in progress. The plot has literally become a shapeshifter, morphing from one genre to another on a daily basis. I just realized my antagonist and protagonist are named Ryan and Brian and half the other…
The Importance of Genre
One of those writing clichés tells aspiring authors to “write the book you want to read.” That may be true, but make sure your book fits into an accepted genre or no one else will read it. As I was…