Richard Thomas

Storyville: The Symbolism of the Four Seasons

Some tips on how the seasons can service your story.
Richard Thomas

Storyville: From Baseline to Variation—How to Set and Expand Expectations

How to set the baseline and then take your readers somewhere else entirely.
Richard Thomas

Storyville: Building Up Your Horror Story Before You Tear It Down

Tips on how to build up your horror story before you tear it all down.
Leah Dearborn

Happy Birthday To Georgette Heyer, the Salty Godmother of Regency Romance

Heyer said of her own writing in the 1940s, “I think to myself I ought to be shot for writing such nonsense," but her self-deprecation undermined her wit and substantial body of bestselling work.
Leah Dearborn

Telling the Story of a Pandemic and the Future of Now

How do you write about the ‘now’ in a time of ongoing global crisis?
Richard Thomas

Storyville: What Do You Have the Authority to Write?

Experience vs. research: What stories are yours to tell?
Joshua Isard

Curious not Confused

Finding the right amount of information to include in a story can be a difficult task for any writer.
Richard Thomas

Storyville: Turning Your Obsessions Into Fiction

Some tips for turning your obsessions—good and bad—into powerful stories.
Richard Thomas

Storyville: Finding Original Locations to Set Your Horror Stories

How can you find original locations to set your horror stories? Here are a few ideas.
Richard Thomas

Storyville: Pacing and Depth in Short Fiction vs. Novels

Thoughts on the differences between novels and short stories, specifically when it comes to pacing and depth.
Gabino Iglesias

What Reviewing Nonfiction Taught Me About Writing Fiction

Reviewing nonfiction taught me a few tricks that helped improve my approach to writing fiction.
Richard Thomas

Storyville: Living Vicariously Through Our Fiction

Some thoughts on how and why we live through our stories and protagonists.
Richard Thomas

Storyville: Method Writing

What is method writing, and how can it help breathe authenticity into your work?
Susan DeFreitas

Dialogue: The Number One Mistake Newbie Writers Make

There's no lack of online advice about how to write dialogue in fiction. But there’s one issue I see over and over in the dialogue of newbie writers, and I have yet to find one post that tackles it.
Richard Thomas

Storyville: Horror Story vs. Horror Novel

How do you know if your horror project is a story, novella, or novel? Some quick tips.
Jeff Noon

The World in the Skull: A Story’s Environment

Part 9 of Jeff's 10 part series on the writing of his new novel, "A Man of Shadows."
Richard Thomas

Storyville: Leaving Room for the Reader in Your Fiction

Thoughts and advice on how to leave room for your readers when writing fiction.
Richard Thomas

Storyville: Dissecting "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" by Joyce Carol Oates

One of the most talked about, published and taught stories, I dissect "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" by Joyce Carol Oates.
Richard Thomas

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.
Richard Thomas

Storyville: Manipulating Your Readers

How do you manipulate your audience? Here are a few tips.
Richard Thomas

Storyville: 15 Unconventional Story Methods

Here are 15 unconventional methods of telling a story. Why not stretch yourself?
Richard Thomas

Storyville: Dissecting "Fireflies"

Dissecting my story, "Fireflies," I shine a light on my first attempt at magical realism — craft, process, and structure.
Richard Thomas

Storyville: Dynamic Settings

Setting is one of the most important aspects of your story; don't overlook it.
Richard Thomas

Storyville: Story Dissection - Maker of Flight

Richard dissects another of his short stories, this time, the contest winning, "Maker of Flight."
Richard Thomas

Storyville: Narrative Hooks

Writing a great narrative hook isn't easy, but it's one way to grab your audience and never let them go.