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Storyville: Continuing Your Writing Education
August 17th, 2016
So today we’re going to talk about how to continue your writing education. Whether you’ve graduated from high school, or obtained an undergraduate degree (both excellent accomplishments) there are several ways you can continue to grow as an author. Let’s explore them a bit.
Read Column →Manga For Beginners: 'One-Punch Man'
August 17th, 2016
Welcome to Manga for Beginners! I got hooked on manga during the explosion of translated titles in the late '90s/early '00s. My fandom declined over the years, but thanks to One-Punch Man, I'm back with a vengeance. Each month I'll be taking a look at one or more (new-ish) manga to hit the US that you should set you sights on. Got a book you're eager to know more about? Leave a comment and I'll see what I can do. First up? The party responsible for this madness: ONE-PUNCH MAN.
Read Column →Tech and Product Round-up: August Edition
August 16th, 2016
Hello all. I've got a decent handful of news and tips to share with you this month. Amazon released a pretty cool but not really cool new feature for their Kindle tablets and app. Though Apple is on the verge of announcing a new phone (probably, anyway, because they always do around this time of year), we haven't heard terribly much from their camp, though a few tidbits about iOS 10 are of particular note to writers. Last but not least, I've got a handy setting for you fellow Scrivener nerds, as well as some BIG news from the folks over at Literature and Latte.
Read Column →Writing the Crime Scene: Dead Bodies
August 16th, 2016
Every murder needs a victim. If you’re writing a crime story, there will undoubtedly be a character dropping dead in your manuscript. But when your dashing detective walks into that seedy hotel for the first time to examine the corpse, you need to make sure you have the technical details right to maintain your authority.
Read Column →8 Mini Grammar Studies in Modern Music
August 12th, 2016
Music is a great way to remember specific details. When you take a closer look at the lyrics in certain songs, you can easily remember tricky grammar devices and spend less time looking things up. This list will not only include songs demonstrating grammar gaffes, but will also cover examples of lyrics that show proper use of grammar. The trick is remembering what’s wrong and what’s correct. Hint: if it’s pop, maybe don’t trust it.
Read Column →LURID: Last Seen Wearing - Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains Databases
August 11th, 2016
There’s a story familiar to all of us, across cultures and through history, the story of someone who was there and then was not, of the person who relinquished their lifetime role as lover, sister, husband, grandpa, neighbor, colleague, or daughter and joined the always-swelling ranks of the Missing. She popped out to the liquor store for a packet of cigarettes, didn’t take a coat, never came back.
Read Column →Buy Your Villain a Birthday Present: 5 More Development Exercises
August 11th, 2016
About two years ago, I put together a short list of character development exercises, curated from various blogs, social media platforms and podcasts. Since the Internet is basically a limitless resource for such things, it seemed like a decent idea to pull together a few more.
Read Column →Darth Trump and Princess Hillary: How Claudia Gray's 'Star Wars: Bloodline' Mirrors the 2016 Election Year
August 10th, 2016
Header images via Nightflight and Twitter This election year is a memorable one. With the Republican National Convention proving that politicians can indeed stoop to new lows and the Democratic National Convention demonstrating that the Left would rather bicker than unite, it’s looking like the next few months will be for the record books.
Read Column →Can I Survive ONE Choose Your Own Adventure Book?
August 10th, 2016
My experience reading Choose Your Own Adventure books as a kid was probably a lot like yours. I picked up a book that seemed more exciting than a regular book, made about three choices, and then saw my character consumed by fire. I picked up another one, made about three choices, and my lifeless corpse was flung into outer space. But that was decades ago. Surely, now, as an adult, and as an adult who reads a lot and understands what writers are trying to evoke in children, I can survive one of these things. Right?
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