[Note: This post was originally published on the Writers’ Co-op page back in February. I was going to post it here too at the time, but I guess I was just too depressed to bother. Sorry about that. ] Well, my publisher just called it a day, announcing a couple of weeks ago that Bookkus…
Post 24 Character Development – Keeping notes. My first bit of advice about character development is simple – keep notes. Especially if you want to write a story laden with multiple characters it’s very important to strive for consistency in characterization. I know, I know… we’ve all read and seen stories where the coward suddenly…
Looking back over my old posts I realized I haven’t spent much time talking about characterization, having devoted only one post (#12) to it. Well, let’s change that. In many stories (especially genre stories) characterization is the ignored feature. How often have you read a review (for a book, a movie, or a tv series)…
This one’s a Holiday gift to all those poor line editors and writing teachers out there. I share your pain! Well, the semester’s over. Released for a time, the mind wanders to strange odd thoughts – what if Shakespeare had been a college professor? Could ‘Hamlet, Prince of Denmark’ instead be “Hamlet, Instructor of Writing’? …
Last time, I used ‘The Walking Dead’ as an example of consistency in world building, but ended with an implication that this may be changing. The main reason is the way they’ve skirted their “rule” that any character can die. The most egregious case is the character of Glenn. Now he’s a good character and…
If you write Science Fiction or Fantasy, a major part of your work will be the process of world building. You need to carefully set the stage on which your characters will live out their lives. The easy way to do this is to take the shortcut of not being very original (see my blog…
Still drowsy, sipping your morning coffee, you stumble toward your computer as you get ready for a new day. Checking your e-mail, you’re hoping for a note about your story. After all, you joined that writer’s site a few weeks ago and have dutifully read and reviewed a number of posts since then. Your eyes…
Everyone wants feedback on their work – or do they? That might sound like an odd question, but let me tell you a story. When I was in college I once did something really stupid (only once?) and was on the receiving end of some negative feedback from people in the group I hung out…
So here you are, staring at the complete first draft of your novel. What do you do with it? I’ve already told you not to send it to a publisher or post it on-line, so what’s left? Put it aside for a while. Work on something else. I know, this is really difficult to do.…
The First Draft Thing The End As you stare at your computer screen you get this sudden, exhilarating rush of emotion. You’ve done it! You’ve written a novel! Hardly able to contain yourself you want to high-five the world, but instead you just lean back with this stupid grin on your face and read…