Lately I’ve been reading Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. I’ve been drawing it out, since I always seem to read the saddest parts in public, and I hate crying in front of people. But just this week I picked it up again, and, before I got to another incredibly sad part, I read a passage… Continue reading Why We Write
Tag: tips
Embracing the Wiki Loop
“Wiki loop” is one of those phrases that has popped up to describe a phenomenon we’ve all experienced: getting stuck reading endless Wikipedia articles. If you’re like me, you may wonder why this could ever be considered a bad thing. But I guess some people have better things to do on Friday nights than click through… Continue reading Embracing the Wiki Loop
Getting to Know Your Main Character
This is my favorite part of writing. Your main character will make or break your story, and unfortunately they will not just appear from your head fully-formed, Athena-style. That is why this getting-to-know-you stage is arguably the most important part of writing. If you’re not sure what I mean by “getting to know” your main character,… Continue reading Getting to Know Your Main Character
Writing What You Don’t Know
“You must stay firmly based in reality when writing,” my creative writing professor says. This means no fantasy, science fiction, or even dystopian stories. I don’t agree with her, but I nod along as she speaks, because she’ll be the one grading my stories. Still, her words bring up an interesting point, and the old… Continue reading Writing What You Don’t Know
The Problem of Overcompensation
I promise this is about writing, but first I’m going to tell you a story. I was driving home yesterday, so I went to McDonald’s to get a Sprite and french fries. There was no ketchup in the bag, so I asked for some. I specifically remember saying “Can I get some ketchup? Just one… Continue reading The Problem of Overcompensation
Finishing Your Novel
I’m nearing the end of my current project, and I can feel myself slowing down; as the end draws nearer, my daily word count decreases, and I spend more time reading, researching, and plotting. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, considering the fact that I was unsure of exactly how the story would end until about three… Continue reading Finishing Your Novel
The Weight of Words
The position I’m in right now, which is a great one by the way, is all because of a few words one of my professors told me. Here’s his final critique for the portfolio (first ten pages of a novel) that I submitted for my creative writing class: “An excellent start to a gripping story. You’d… Continue reading The Weight of Words
1000 Words a Day and other advice
I know that everyone has heard that “real writers” write every day. The most cited number is 1000 words a day, but it varies. You’ve probably also heard that writing 1000 words a day isn’t a necessity, and you shouldn’t force yourself to do it if that’s not how you write best. Personally, I’ve always… Continue reading 1000 Words a Day and other advice
Tips on Editing
I’m not an expert on editing, despite what I like to think. However, I have done quite a bit of editing in the past few months, so I hope that I have something worthwhile to share with you guys. First things first: start out small. I’m going to tell you a story that has nothing… Continue reading Tips on Editing
Ahoy, mateys! (AKA How to Research When Writing a Novel)
For some reason, I decided to write about pirates. Let me first say that I know absolutely nothing about pirates, so there hasn’t actually been much writing going on. I’ve mostly been trying to research actual pirates so that I don’t sound like an idiot. And since I’ve been doing so much research lately, I… Continue reading Ahoy, mateys! (AKA How to Research When Writing a Novel)