Storyville: Avoiding Purple Prose in Your Fiction
How to avoid writing purple prose.
Storyville: Adding Diversity to Your Fiction
Some tips on how to be more inclusive in your writing.
The Leftovers Pilot: Television Turns Literary
In:
Literary Devices
The Leftovers pilot is packed with literary flourishes that carry throughout the entire series. Fred Venturini breaks down the techniques that power one of the best shows on television.
Storyville: Are You Unique or Just Difficult with Your Fiction?
Make sure you're not being difficult and vague when trying to write unique stories. Here are some tips.
These 4 Popular Reading Spots Are Actually Awful
In:
Character
Your favorite place to read is probably terrible.
Want a Masterclass in Character Development? Better Call Saul!
In:
Character
Better Call Saul's pilot, "Uno," focuses on building characters in surprising and patient ways, emphasizing the creation of curiosity over providing the audience with exposition.
Seeing the Page Like A Quarterback Sees the Field
Using football metaphors, I compare how being a successful QB is similar to being a good writer.
Writing the Crime Scene: Mental Illness
By Repo Kempt
In:
Research
Psychopathic kilers, depressed cops and neurotic detectives. Mental illness is a recurring staple of crime fiction. Here's a guide to doing your research and getting the details right.
Storyville: Writing Compelling Dust Jacket Copy
Tips for writing compelling dust jacket copy that makes the back of your book sing.
The Five Be's to Being a Better Beta Buddy
By Leah Rhyne
In:
Rewriting
Want to give a friend a beta read? Want to actually be GOOD at it? Read on for some tips!
Storyville: Leaving Room for the Reader in Your Fiction
Thoughts and advice on how to leave room for your readers when writing fiction.
Storyville: Great Titles—Hooking Your Readers
In:
Theme
Some ideas on how to hook your readers with your titles.
Comics And Comics Movies Need Good Villains
By Peter Derk
In:
Character
Where have all the villains gone?
Story Structure: The Magic Bullet that Nearly Killed Me
In:
Plot
Matthew Quirk, author of the newly-released 'Dead Man Switch,' talks about the secret code of storytelling he learned from screenwriting.
Five Storytelling Tips I Learned from Watching 'The Bachelor'
In:
Setting
Five examples of how reality TV Shows 'The Bachelor' and 'The Bachelorette' showed me how to write better stories.
Open to Inspiration: How Your Own Family History Can Feed Your Fiction
By Alex Segura
Acclaimed crime/mystery novelist Alex Segura talks about finding inspiration for his next book in his own family's Cuban history.
10 Reasons Why Poetry is the Manliest of Genres
In:
Poetry
We all know genres aren't male or female, but if they all ended up in a bar fight, would poetry be the manliest?
The Violence Yet to Come: Breaking Down the 'Taboo' Pilot
In:
Character
A craft-based look at the pilot episode of FX's 'Taboo.'
Writing the Crime Scene: 5 Fictional Female Detectives of Note
By Repo Kempt
In:
Research
March is Women's History Month in most of the world (except Canada), so here's five fictional female detectives that you probably don’t know, but should.
Storyville: Writing Contemporary Magical Realism
Tips on how to write contemporary magical realism.
The Dos and Don'ts of Book Tour: An Author's Survival Guide
By Steph Post
In:
Live Reading
Honest, real advice for making it through your first book tour.
5 Comics Every Crime Writer Needs To Read
By Repo Kempt
In:
Research
Crime writers can learn a lot about their craft from well-written comic books. Here's five superb crime comics to whet your appetite.
Storyville: Writing a Story or Novel Based on One Emotion
In:
Theme
Tips, advice and process for writing a story or novel based on one emotion.
