Dialogue is critical. It's not necessary—many stories don't have it—but in stories where it's present, it needs to flow and keep the story going. That can be hard though. Small talk keeps the story still. Sometimes dialogue can feel like an info dump. So, how do we keep it interesting? Goals Give every character a goal—usually … Continue reading 3 tips to spice up your dialogue
Tag: stories
When to tell instead of show
We've all heard the saying show, don't tell. Even as I edit, I find instances where I need to point that out. However, telling does have a purpose. It's about how you use it. And perhaps understanding it more will help writers understand when and when not to use it. There are two main concepts … Continue reading When to tell instead of show
I asked so I made
I asked the world for a river that knows no bounds. It'd flow through the forest, the desert, and the sea. At night, it'd wander through the sky, passing every star. It wouldn't know when to stop, letting nothing stand in its way. What I got was a stream that can't quite make it down … Continue reading I asked so I made
What fantasy writers need in their stories
I attended Fantasy Writer’s Week from ProWritingAid, and one of my favorite talks was over an emotion writers should focus on: wonder. Wonder is a sweet mix between surprise and admiration. Bringing wonder into a story allows the reader to get more immersed in an unfamiliar world. It makes them want to know more. Dave … Continue reading What fantasy writers need in their stories
How to write an author bio for submissions
Author bios can seem difficult. It's impossible to narrow a person down to a few sentences. But writers also do the impossible all the time. My experience with this is limited to Submittable. Most places ask for a bio between three to five sentences long. Bios are simple and can have a small bit of … Continue reading How to write an author bio for submissions
Book review – A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor
“The most impactful thing you can do with power is almost always to give it away.” Title: A Beautifully Foolish EndeavorAuthor: Hank GreenGenre: Sci-fiPages: 452 pagesPublication date: July 7, 2020 I enjoyed the first book, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, so I was excited to get the next one. The story continues not long after Andy … Continue reading Book review – A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor
A reminder for writers
The world goes by so quickly that it can seem like we haven't done much at all. As if the world accomplishes mountains while we take one step. But remember that everyone takes different paths. It doesn't matter if we get there when we're fifteen or fifty. It just matters that we get there at … Continue reading A reminder for writers
Best books of 2020
I'm going to be more consistent with these. Like last year, I'll give you the Goodreads blurbs of my favorite books that I read this year. (I did it differently in 2017 and 2018.) Boy Oh Boy by Zachary Doss —Boy Oh Boy is a collection of queer fabulist stories and flash fictions told via … Continue reading Best books of 2020
A writer’s journey (part nine) – getting published in a journal
Getting published in a journal was one of my hardest goals to hit. Writers take different paths toward this. Some submit through email. Others submit through websites like Submittable. Both have their pros and cons. Where to Submit? When I submit through email, I tend to not hear back from the publisher for months, but … Continue reading A writer’s journey (part nine) – getting published in a journal
Common writer mistakes #11
#11 — Different types of dashes In writing, there are three main dashes you come across: a hyphen (-), an en dash (–), and an em dash (—). I've seen writers confuse them all the time. However, these are easy fixes. It's all about understanding the difference between them. A hyphen (-) is the most … Continue reading Common writer mistakes #11
