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Monday Challenge: No One Rides For Free
You can get a lift, but it’ll cost you. Let’s talk about compromises. Your characters, if they do anything interesting at all*, will sooner or later have to make deals with other characters. And those...
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Monday Challenge: Playing Catch With The Dark Lord
If only it was this simple. Last week, I read a kid’s book that was fun, interesting, and, strangely, morally challenging. Not a usual description of a book meant for ages eight to twelve–and, let’s...
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Monday Challenge: That’s What She Said
Yup. I’m putting words in someone’s mouth. Again. Just another part of the job, along with making floor plans for places that don’t exist and getting on a government watch list with every Google...
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Monday Challenge: Man’s Best Friend
In retrospect, the Millers regretted letting Mittens get his firearms licence. I learned yesterday that Jezebel, my friend’s obese, cantankerous, generally demonic cat, no longer waddles the planet....
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Making It Worse: Why Awkward Characters Are The Best
So, is this a good time to tell you that your scabbard is in a REALLY awkward place? Awkward characters are the most fun to write.* Here’s why: you’ve got a situation. Because you’re a writer, it’s...
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Protagonists I Would Like To Put In A Sack And Drown*
Goddamn it, Jacob, stop hugging me so I can go unleash a plague or some shit. 1. The Earth Angel. So fucking perfect all the fucking time, until you just want to smash their imaginary face in. This...
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30,000 Words I Won’t Use: Why I Write Deep Background
Over there is where we’ll put the Tragic Childhood. In keeping with my New Year’s Resolution, I’ve been working faithfully on this novel manuscript since January.* During the last week, though, I’ve...
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Decide or GTFO: I Hate Your Wishy-Washy Character
Which do I want? Toast? Muffin? TOAST OR MUFFIN? I WILL SPEND THE ENTIRE BOOK ON THIS DECISION! It’s no secret that I love a good bad guy. A great villain can make a piece of fiction, just like a...
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Who Let The Philosopher Drive?: Keeping Your Ideas From Murdering Your Story
Who let the Essential Absurdity of Life drive again? I was reading yesterday, it being Sunday and me still being trapped inside by the winter snow like a caged beast. For real, am I ever going to see...
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This Isn’t My Real Face: Writing As Someone Else
HI. I’ve mentioned before that I’ve gone back to my journalling ways*, partially as a writing aid, mostly as a brain and mental health aid. Surprise: I’ve got some faulty wiring upstairs. Who’s...
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