Any person who has ever taken an introductory creative writing course has heard this advice: “write about what you know.” Ironically, the very next advice seems to be “write about what you don’t know.” The instructors think they’re clever, but I can’t count how many times I’ve heard this. You can’t accurately write about something … More Writing and the Writer’s Life
You’re all here, I assume, for the secret. You’re looking for the trick no one told you, the trick no one knows, no one but me, and now you. You want to know what made the greatest and most successful authors? Well, I’ll tell you. Drum roll!!! The truth is only dedication to the craft of writing … More How to Make a Killing as a Writer
As I continue to suffer and weep in the cold hands of a relentless depression, I have took it upon myself to read a self-help book on cognitive psychology. The book, Feeling Good by David Burns is an excessively long look at the causes and solutions for depression. Although I have completed only about 300 pages … More The Cognitive Correction
That last poem was not perfect and it’s bothering me. I usually write the poems just to continue writing. I need practice and also I love seeing your views and likes and follows. Ugh, but that wasn’t perfect enough. It’s a unique concept, but the poem seems unfinished. I would love some advice. I know … More Not Perfect!
A while back I mentioned that I finished the first draft of a novella about a hallucinatory painter. Since then, I’ve revised the draft and sent out copies to some friends in the hope that they’d give me some good critiques. So far every person has given positive responses, and positive responses only. Hooray! Actually, … More So Close…Or Maybe Not
Remove everything that has no relevance to the story. If you say in the first act that there is a rifle hanging on the wall, in the second or third act it absolutely must go off. If it’s not going to be fired, it shouldn’t be hanging there. —Anton Chekhov Minimalism and set-up. When you think about … More Chekhov’s Gun
I stumbled across a short film called “Kropki” (Polish for dots). The film points out how mechanical we are. We do what we need to do and never ask more. We never question why this happens and that happens, who that person over there is, what that person thinks, why they dress the way they … More Dots
One of the main complaints about literature, especially fantasy, is that the hero is generally always a male. If I look back at some of the books I read, especially as a child, this complaint holds up. Percy Jackson. Harry Potter. Eragon. Frodo Baggins. Kvothe. Okay, so there was Katniss Everdeen, but otherwise…not many girls. I … More Writing a Heroine
Judging the underwhelming response to my last confession, I get the feeling you guys really don’t give a shit about my personal life. But please, give me a like or a comment. Give me your support. I need it. I realized something. I don’t know anything about love. Daisy and I have continued our shenanigans, … More Confession#9-What the Hell Do I Know?
Since my last post, I’ve been thinking…fantasy is one tough genre. There are so many pitfalls, so many cliches, and it almost feels like all the fantasy stories that could be told, have been told. Yeah, yeah, there are no new stories, only new ways of telling them. Whatever. Most fantasy stories take place in … More Fantasy Troubles
He Who Wanders 