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Poetry Fun-0-1: How to Write a Sonnet
May 23rd, 2014
I love sonnets. The only poem I have memorized is a sonnet. I probably wouldn't be a poet if sonnets didn't exist; I'd have to invent them or something. Sonnets are the best. I'm getting a bit ahead of myself, though. Let me back up a bit. What exactly is a sonnet anyway?
Read Column →4 Signs That You're Not Writing Enough...and 4 Things You Can Do About It
May 23rd, 2014
I hate writing, I love having written. ― Dorothy Parker
Read Column →Stop Stressing Over Genre and Just Write
May 22nd, 2014
A few weeks ago, a friend I am making up for the purpose of this article was experiencing some problems with a story he was attempting to write. He asked me if I could help him out. I said probably not, but considering he was a figment of my imagination, who the hell else was he going to ask? "So, what's the problem?" I said.
Read Column →Product Review: Scrivener
May 21st, 2014
We writers have multiple word processing options at our disposal, with perhaps the most prominent being Microsoft Word and Apple Pages for prose fiction, and Final Draft and Celtx for screenwriting. Both these and other software work quite well, particularly if you've already built up a collection of templates with standard manuscript formatting in place.
Read Column →Like a Broken Record: Are There Really Only Seven Plots?
May 20th, 2014
The human mind has its limits. We seek patterns, and find solace in the safe and familiar. It’s only natural, since that which is new may also be dangerous. But does it also prevent us from creating anything entirely original? Everyone has heard the old saying about art imitating life. People have been pondering over the nature of art and originality for thousands of years, which technically makes this post a part of an ancient Escher-like loop of unoriginal commentary about unoriginal commentary.
Read Column →Edit My Paragraph! The Maiden Voyage
May 19th, 2014
Before I launch into the paragraph edits, I wanted to talk a little about what I call “The quick, brown fox jumped over the lazy dog” writing—prose filled with adjectives in lieu of more “showing” vs “telling” description—and its more atrocious cousin, "The quick, brown fox gleefully jumped over the lazy dog" writing.
Read Column →How to Become a Freelance Writer in 900 Simple Steps – Part 3: Two Steps Forward, One Step to the Side
May 19th, 2014
Taking the Long Way I knew from the start that the line from being a wage slave to a full-time freelancer would not be straight. I also knew that it was only a matter of time before either my time or my money (or both) ran out. That time has come. Not working, as you might imagine, is expensive, and after 5 months of unstructured time at home, I’m back in the office full time.
Read Column →Five Characters Who Could Really Use A Hug
May 16th, 2014
Image by Kristina Alexanderson Let’s be real: the best stories do not end well. The lovers don’t end up together. The bad guy wins.
Read Column →Five Applications That Make a Writer's Life Easier
May 16th, 2014
Writers are no longer just writers. In this era, we are writers, marketers, digital media managers, and legal experts. To survive in the rapidly changing publishing industry, we are expected to evolve and take on many different hats and be experts in these different roles.
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