Seven Badass Authors And Their Potentially Deadly Research Methods
In:
Research
New rule: You can't call the research for your book "grueling" unless it involves a gun to your head, beatings from Hells Angels members, feigning madness, or eating someone in the jungles of Peru.
Storyville: Story Dissection - Maker of Flight
Richard dissects another of his short stories, this time, the contest winning, "Maker of Flight."
10 Words You Literally Didn’t Know You Were Getting Wrong
In:
Grammar
Thanks to Joe Biden's mega-gaffe last month at the DNC, we were reminded that "literally" literally means you are being "literal". Here are a few more words you might want to revisit.
The Art of the Content Edit: 10 Ways To Make Sure You're Doing It Right
By Rob Hart
The proofreading phase is when a book gets pretty--but the content edit is when you really bring the story home. Here's how to do it right.
Getting Over It, Getting It Out: On Embracing A Bad First Draft
Let's face it: the first draft of anything is going to be awful. That's okay. In fact, here's why it's encouraged.
The Secret Lives Of Little Words
What's that word doing there? When it comes to spoken language, nothing is accidental. Linguists are working on finding meaning in every 'oh,' 'um,' 'well,' and 'okay.' The results might surprise you.
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.
Why I Volunteer for Writing Festivals like Wordstock (and Why You Should, Too)
In:
Workshop
Volunteering for Wordstock keeps me sane. You should try it!
Art and the Aphorism
In:
Literary Devices, Phrases
Love them or hate them, writers can learn a lot about sentence structure and wordplay by experimenting with the timeless artform of the aphorism.
Storyville: Writing About Sex
How do you write a good sex scene? By utilizing the right language, all five senses, and empathetic characters, you can seduce the reader into living the moment.
What's Your Style?: Style Guides and How to Use Them
In:
Grammar
Whether you are actually going back to school this fall, or you just need an excuse to go to the bookstore, we have compiled a list of the most well known style guides and how to use them.
Storyville: The Horror of Editing and Revision
It's been said that the difference between a good writer and a great writer is editing. So let's hop to it.
Clause I Said So: A Refresher Course On Sentence Types
In:
Grammar
Take it back to your high school English class with a refresher on clause types.
The Benefits of Free Indirect Discourse
Writers who find themselves wrestling with point-of-view problems may want to consider a technique that combines the best of two narrative modes.
Storyville: Endings, Twisted and Otherwise
A beginning, a middle, and an end. Let's talk about the end. Make it resonate.
Overcoming “Voice Anxiety”
In:
Voice
Writers stress themselves out over the idea of devising a unique, compelling voice in their writing. Here's why a lot of that anxiety is underserved.
Transition As Metaphor
Incorporate these principles to not only transition smoothly from scene to scene, but to add a new layer of metaphor for the manipulation of meaning and theme.
Some Practical Writing Advice From Douglas Coupland
The Bestselling author of "Generation X" and "Girlfriend In A Coma" gives some simple advice picked up during his 25 years as a writer.
Look Like A Genius Without Actually Being One: Eight Formatting Tips And Tricks
By Dave Reuss
In:
Grammar
Give your baby the best possible chance out there in the world of publishing: here's an inside look at formatting issues that drive editors crazy.
Storyville: Promotion
In:
Research
In this column, we talk about some of the ways you can promote your writing, for little or no money.
Two More Comma Rules You Oughta Know!
In:
Grammar
Two more comma rules that every writer should learn.
Acting on the Fictional Stage: The Dramatic Method in Fiction
Harness The Dramatic Method For Character Action
Narrative and the Moving Image: What Film Can Teach Us About Fiction Writing
In:
Literary Devices
Fiction writers can learn a great deal about craft by examining some of the common storytelling techniques used in modern film.
Writing In Parallel
In:
Phrases
One of the biggest mistakes committed by both beginning and experienced writers is a failure to craft sentences that transmit information clearly, evenly, and with an emphasis on what’s important.
An Unreliably Narrated Essay
By Joshua Mohr
In the reviews of my first two novels, the issue of the unreliable narrator has been mentioned often. Whether this is meant as criticism, compliment, or some tangle of the two, the following problem remains whenever this point is raised: I don’t believe in the unreliable narrator.
