Dear Charlotte Perkins Gilman
An open letter to Charlotte Perkins Gilman that reflects on postpartum and her story "The Yellow Wallpaper."
Dear Anne Sexton
An open letter to Anne Sexton on her birthday.
Dear Emily Dickinson
A haunting open letter to the influential American poet.
How to Write Authentic Fiction
How to write authentic fiction that resonates with other people.
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.
Storyville: Universal Truths Can Help Your Readers Relate
Examples of how to use universal truths in your fiction.
Storyville: Living Vicariously Through Our Fiction
Some thoughts on how and why we live through our stories and protagonists.
How to Write Edgy Fiction Without Being Obnoxious
Edgy fiction is difficult to pull off - and requires a depth and understanding of history, literature, and yourself. It's not about repeating what's been done before. It's about expanding it.
Improve Your Stories By Eliminating Agendas
By Joshua Isard
The agendas with which you approach your story might be holding the narrative back.
Clarity vs. Experimentation: A Letter To Myself
By Peter Derk
Does your work have a worthwhile story underneath the experiment? In other words, are you going to pay off the work a reader does to understand what’s going on?
Storyville: Activities to Feed Your Dark Creative Soul Around Halloween
A few ideas on how to tap into your inner darkness, as we approach Halloween.
Storyville: Love in Fiction
How to write about love in your fiction.
Storyville: 10 Ways to Fool Your Readers
Ten tips for the best ways to fool your readers.
Storyville: Fiction As Film—Writing Scenes That Are Visual
How can your fiction be as visual and engrossing as a film? Here are some suggestions.
Nuts and Bolts: “Thought” Verbs
You've always heard the maxim, "Show, don't tell..." but almost no writing teacher ever explains... How. Discover how to strengthen your prose by unpacking abstract and static verbs into descriptive action.
Ten Obvious Truths About Fiction
Ten obvious truths about fiction and its relationship with your readers.
Beware the ‘Thesis Statement’
In:
Abstracts
Abstract and summarizing lead statements feel natural to journalism and academic writing, but will suck the life from your fiction. Learn to unpack and rearrange these abstractions for greater effect.