Modifier Makeovers: Go From Basic to Belle-of-The-Ball with These Simple Tricks
In:
Grammar
A Primer on Modifiers.
They Alive, Dammit! ‘Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’ and Strong Character Arcs
In:
Character
It's a miracle!
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.
The Optical Illusion of Perspective In Storytelling
In:
POV
Skilled writers perform a kind of optical illusion of the mind's eye, creating language that matches and expands upon our own real life experiences.
What Works & What Doesn't: 'Badlands'
In:
Structure
How effective is the first act of Terrence Malick's debut feature on the page?
Finding Poetry In Computer Code
In:
Structure
Is there a linguistic elegance to code? Is it only ever for issuing commands, or can it be for the enjoyment of the programmer?
Five (Dirty Little) Truths about Proofreading
In:
Grammar
No one wants your book to be perfect more than your proofreader. Unfortunately, that's easier said than done.
Storyville: The DOs and DONTs of Running a Successful Kickstarter Campaign
In:
Research
Advice on how to run a successful Kickstarter campaign from someone who's done it.
Finding Story Inspiration in Strip Clubs
By Rob Hart
In:
Research
If you want to get the feel for a town, strip clubs are a good place to start. Rob Hart shares his strip club experiences and how they've influenced his new novel, CITY OF ROSE.
The Architecture of Fantasy: How Authors Use Real Places To Build Imaginary Ones
In:
Setting
Sometimes our world and others overlap, like the center of a Venn diagram. These new worlds that still retain vestiges of our own offer a unique angle; they allow the author to make comparisons.
Words Mightier Than Bullets: Tarantino on Story
By BH Shepherd
In:
Theme
A look at the theme of storytelling throughout Quentin Tarantino's filmography.
Storyville: Love in Fiction
How to write about love in your fiction.
Making A Murderer: How Good Storytelling Made It So Damn Compelling
By Peter Derk
'Making A Murderer' was a fascinating story, but good storytelling made it truly excellent.
Five Literary Sex Scenes You Wish You'd Written
In:
Structure
Unearned sex scenes are hard to swallow. Here are five writers that get to the guts of what's at stake when we get naked.
The Dreaded R-Word: The Goods and Evils of Rhetoric
In:
Grammar
Seems like "rhetoric" is always in the news lately. And it's never good. But why?
Self-Editing For Dummies
In:
Rewriting
You want to edit your own writing. Here's how to get started.
Advice From A Literary Character: Bridget Jones
In:
Character
One of your favorite literary characters takes on life's big questions.
Jessica Jones vs. Sansa Stark: Rape Culture in Entertainment, and Why We Should Talk About It
By Leah Rhyne
Trigger warning: We are going to talk about rape, and our reactions to the loss of innocence vs. the thirst for revenge.
How Backstory Almost Totally Fucked Up the Star Wars Franchise: A Lesson for Writers
By Cath Murphy
In:
Character
The Star Wars prequels almost killed the Star Wars franchise and it wasn't just because of Hayden Christensen's acting. The toxic element was an overdose of backstory.
NaNoWriMo Hangover: 8 Steps to Recovery
In:
Rewriting
You've just completed NaNoWriMo and have a messy first draft to show for it. Now what?
American Horror Backstory: The Use of Flashbacks in "AHS: Hotel"
In:
Character
This FX TV series may not always concern itself with plot, but it always loves its characters. But how much is too much?
Book Launches, Portland Style
By Suzy Vitello
In:
Live Reading
Suzy Vitello, aka "the den mom," knows how to throw a great book party. After all, she was taught by the master of the literary festivus, Chuck Palahniuk. Need some ideas for your own launch? Read on.
Five Ray Bradbury Stories That Tell Us Everything We Need to Know About Writing.
In:
Structure
No writer stalked the inherent tensions in fiction with more guts and style than Ray Bradbury. Here are five lessons in conflict from the master of wonder.
5 Easy Ways to Make Your Writing Gender-Neutral
In:
Grammar
It's actually not that hard to write more inclusively, but it's more important now than ever to TRY.
Everybody Hates You: Using Empathy to Write Realistic Characters
In:
Character
If you want any chance of writing believable characters and stories worth reading, then being able to empathize with all of your characters must be your top priority.
