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.
8 Prescient Dystopian Shorts—in Short, We're F*#&ed!
In:
Theme
Some dystopian tales to remind us to be careful what we wish for-—Heaven on Earth is just the B-side to End of Days.
Storyville: How to Survive a Creative Writing Workshop
A guide to surviving your creative writing workshop.
Representation Matters: A Literary Call To Arms
In:
Character
Representation is key to good writing. This is true whether you're a novelist or a playwright; whether you work in television or in game development. All narrative has the power to impact culture.
