Storyville: Depression as Catharsis in Your Fiction
How depression can lead to catharsis in your storytelling.
Storyville: Leaving Room for the Reader
It's important to leave room for the reader. Here are some ways you can do that.
Storyville: What Makes Your Stories Uniquely You?
Tap into the formative experiences that made you and apply them to your fiction.
Freelance Copywriting Nearly Killed My Voice as A Writer
What you write matters. Getting paid is not enough.
When the Answer Isn't Always Edgar Allan Poe
This essay encourages readers and writers alike to bridge the gap between literary and genre in order to find horror in unsuspecting places.
Storyville: Writing Horror in a Post-Covid World
How do you write dark fiction in a post-Covid world? Be a phoenix, rising from the ashes.
Five Things to Keep in Mind for a Great Opening
The first line. The first paragraph. The first page. The first chapter. They all matter. A lot. Here are some things you should keep in mind to get them right.
Storyville: Method Writing
What is method writing, and how can it help breathe authenticity into your work?
Moods in White, Black and Grey: Finding a Style
By Jeff Noon
Part 7 of Jeff's 10 part series on the writing of his new novel, "A Man of Shadows."
Storyville: The Proper Use of Violence in Fiction
Violence in fiction—when to use it, and when to avoid it.
Storyville: Avoiding Purple Prose in Your Fiction
How to avoid writing purple prose.
Storyville: Leaving Room for the Reader in Your Fiction
Thoughts and advice on how to leave room for your readers when writing fiction.
Storyville: Writing Contemporary Magical Realism
Tips on how to write contemporary magical realism.
Storyville: Six Dark Contemporary Films That Can Inspire Your Fiction
Here are some of my favorite recent films, and ways they can inform and inspire your writing.
Storyville: How to Write Flash Fiction
Tips and tricks for writing powerful flash fiction.
One Word Leads To The Next: Unconventional Conjunctive Devices
In:
Choruses, conjunctions, Fight Club, Invisible Monsters, Literary Devices, rhymes, Vocabulary, Voice
An essay that explores unconventional conjunctive devices and how they can link a story together, making it more like a song or piece of music.
Storyville: Making Relationships Feel Real in Your Fiction
Some tips on how to make your fictional relationship feel real.
Storyville: Love Instead of Death—Writing With Heart
Replace death with love, in your writing, and see what happens.
Storyville: Avoiding Tropes in Horror
What are horror tropes, and how can you avoid them?
Consider This: Coping
In this first of a series of new craft essays, Chuck Palahniuk displays a method for helping your characters cope against dramatic situations. He also delves into the language of singing, mantras and the importance of a good scream.
Storyville: Three Essential Books On Writing
In:
Character, Craft, Dialogue, Jeff VanderMeer, Plot, Stephen King, Storyville, Structure, Theme, Voice
Three essential books on writing by Stephen King, Donald Maas and Jeff VanderMeer.
Nuts and Bolts: Saying It Wrong
Great writers like Mark Richard and Amy Hempel re-invent the world, partly by re-inventing the language. In this essay, Chuck introduces you to the mysteries of "Burnt Tongue," and its three principal uses.
Storyville: My Ten Favorite Short Stories of 2013
Here are my ten favorite short stories for 2013.
Storyville: 10 Hot, Emerging, and Underappreciated Genres
Looking for something new to write? Here are ten hot, emerging, and underappreciated genres.
Storyville: Supernatural and Speculative Fiction—Getting Weird Without Losing Your Audience
Supernatural and speculative fiction—getting weird without losing your audience.