I’m posting this on Christmas Eve day, which this year is also an Open Mike day! (I usually take a week off this time of year anyway, but this is convenient…) So chat among yourselves…and also, check out this post at Writer Beware: https://writerbeware.blog/2025/11/14/if-a-famous-author-calls-hang-up-anatomy-of-an-impersonation-scam/ (There are also
Read more →Creativity is not a well-understood thing. Most people have no trouble recognizing its results, but they have a lot more trouble recognizing creativity in process…sometimes, even when it’s their own. People keep trying to break down the creative process into neat little boxes, in an attempt to
Read more →When it comes to characters, one of the first things writers are told is that characters should be “well-rounded.” This is usually followed by advice like “know your character’s purpose” and “give them flaws.” Sometimes, there’s more specific advice, such as “demonstrate (i.e., “show”) characterization in actions
Read more →November is possibly the second-worst month in which to start a new novel. I’d peg December as the worst one, for the same reason: everyone is always extra busy and distracted during the end-of-year holidays. (These are also bad months for trying to finish a novel. In
Read more →Happy Thanksgiving! Open Mike day matches up with Thanksgiving week this year–so what are the other Americans doing for Turkey Day? I’m staying home, making lobster tails, pesto salad, cranberry bread, and my favorite veggie side dish while taking calls from my spread-out family members. I’ll get
Read more →Braided novels are a specific subset of multiple-viewpoint structure. In a braided novel, there are two or more protagonist characters who each have their own “A” plot-problem, which usually occur over the same time period and which come together in the same (or parallel) climax. The stories
Read more →What is a “B” plot? Like most writing jargon, it depends on who you ask. On the most fundamental level, the A plot is the main storyline, the central problem that, once solved, means the story is over. The dragon is dead/tamed; the war is over; the
Read more →Last week, I talked about some things to do with novellas (besides self-publishing them). Most of them involved ways of making them longer, essentially turning a novella into a novel. I’m going to do a post on the three things I came up with, starting with the
Read more →Curious about people’s thoughts on natural length. Mine seems to be the novella (first work was 26k and second is just under 50k) which is awkward for doing anything with in traditional publishing (and I am not cut out for self publishing). –Rose What do you do
Read more →Once, long ago, I heard a writer complain that writing descriptions of setting was “saying the boring part out loud.” Okay, obviously that person finds descriptions boring, probably as both a reader and a writer. If that’s you, my advice is to figure out what the minimum
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