10 Easy Ways to Improve Your First Chapter Right Now
By Repo Kempt
In:
Rewriting
Learn how to identify and fix common problems in your opening chapter.
So You Want To Write About The Cold
By Peter Derk
In:
Setting
Want to make a reader shiver? Here are a few tips.
Why Microsoft Word's New Grammar and Style Corrections Suck
By Peter Derk
In:
Grammar
Why is the new Microsoft Word trying to boss me around?
Why Coming of Age Crime Stories Work So Well
In:
Theme
The movie adaptation of 'The November Criminals' reminds us that coming of age crime stories are the best kinds of stories.
Write Who You Don’t Know?
By Kat Hausler
In:
Character
'Retrograde' author Kat Hausler ponders the question: Should you base your characters on people you know? Well, yes and no...
The Birth of Jace Salome
In:
Character
Barker sets his protagonist down in a world peppered predominantly with men; men who bulge with maleness and refuse to stop spraying their eau de testosterone everywhere.
Storyville: Horror Story vs. Horror Novel
How do you know if your horror project is a story, novella, or novel? Some quick tips.
Storyville: Activities to Feed Your Dark Creative Soul Around Halloween
A few ideas on how to tap into your inner darkness, as we approach Halloween.
Anatomy of a Mini Flash Novel Experiment: Angel Dust
By Alex Behr
"Planet Grim" Author Alex Behr turns prompts into experimental prose.
Using The *Big* Words: Five Tips On Making Jargon And Tech Work For Your Writing, Rather Than Against It
By Mike Cooper
In:
Research, Vocabulary
With his new heist novel "The Downside" on shelves now, Mike Cooper offers some tips on how to prevent tech-heavy prose from making your story screech to a halt.
The Inauthenticity of a Fuckless World
In:
Vocabulary
People curse. If your stories don't curse too, how authentic are you being to the world you are creating?
10 Easy Edits to Improve Your Manuscript Right Now
By Repo Kempt
In:
Rewriting
A list of ten simple edits that can immediately improve whatever writing you're working on.
This Can't Be: Realism and Genre vs. Reality
In:
Literary Devices
How current trends in realism and genre have failed to prepare us for our disheartening reality.
Storyville: Eight New, Mashed Up Sub-Genres
Some new hybrid narratives to breathe life into your writing.
Avoiding Stereotypes When Writing Place (Even If That Place Is Home)
In:
Setting
Knowing your setting doesn't mean you'll avoid stereotyping it.
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the Shitty First Draft
In:
Rewriting
Sometimes it will be good, sometimes it will be bad, and sometimes it will be down right ugly, but writing a shitty first draft will give you a finished book.
Writing the Crime Scene: Murder or Suicide?
By Repo Kempt
In:
Research
Writing a crime scene where a murder is made to look like a suicide? Here's a guide to doing your research and getting the forensic details right.
Beneath the Terminus Stone: Borderlines as a Theme
By Jeff Noon
In:
Theme
The final installment of Jeff's 10 part series on the writing of his new novel, "A Man of Shadows."
The World in the Skull: A Story’s Environment
By Jeff Noon
In:
Setting
Part 9 of Jeff's 10 part series on the writing of his new novel, "A Man of Shadows."
Through the Labyrinth: Plotting the Story
By Jeff Noon
In:
Plot
Part 8 of Jeff's 10 part series on the writing of his new novel, "A Man of Shadows."
Moods in White, Black and Grey: Finding a Style
By Jeff Noon
In:
Voice
Part 7 of Jeff's 10 part series on the writing of his new novel, "A Man of Shadows."
Populating the Nightmare: Creating Characters
By Jeff Noon
In:
Character
Part 6 of Jeff's 10 part series on the writing of his new novel, "A Man of Shadows."
A Madman Scattering Dust: Time as a Theme
By Jeff Noon
In:
Theme
Part 4 of Jeff's 6 part series on the writing of his new novel, "A Man of Shadows."
Return of the Son of Twilight Zone: Dusk as a Theme
By Jeff Noon
In:
Theme
Part 3 of Jeff's 6 part series on the writing of his new novel, "A Man of Shadows."
How to Take Edits 101
In:
Rewriting
I explain what editing is (it's not just proofreading!) and how to take edits.
