Reposted: You cannot cheat emotion – go for quantity

Check out this great piece by Nate Winchester, readers: You cannot cheat emotion – go for quantity Something I realized analyzing a story that didn’t work. Obviously, when you write stories, you’re going to use little “cheats” here and there to flesh out the world and characters without having to actually dive deep into full histories. …

Reposted: Single-use Scenes

Check out this interesting article by Nate Winchester, readers: Single-use Scenes How can I tell something is a rough draft or not? I’ve said more than once when reviewing something that “it feels like a rough draft.” Which is probably confusing to people – how can you tell? Well one of the things that makes …

Reposted: Occum’s Plot Scale

Check out this intriguing piece by Nate Winchester, readers! Occum’s Plot Scale Awhile back I had posted this note on plot holes. Later I finally remembered the name I always wanted it to be. So today I’m reissuing the post with a few modifications and finally a much more proper title for the rule of thumb. …

Reposted: Flawed Characters – Part 1 (incomplete)

Enjoy this great piece by Nate Winchester, readers: Flawed  Characters - Part 1 (incomplete) Sometimes I think this stuff must be obvious. But then I watch some TV show or movie… I’ll admit that writers can be a bit too in love with our own cleverness. We certainly love to construct a sentence with more …

The Hand of the Empire

For May the 4th and 5th, also known as Star Wars Day/May the Fourth be with You and Revenge of the Fifth, Nate Winchester published two list posts of Star Wars* fan films. As a rule, this author generally eschews such videos. There have been exceptions to this rule over the years – one of …

Reposted: Writing Talk – And Then, Therefore

Check out Nate Winchester's latest piece, readers: Writing Talk - And Then, Therefore So – above all – you’ve completed step 1 and got something written! What’s another way to make your story richer and more complex? If you want it in video form, you can watch Shamus’ talk about this method here. Read more...

Reposted: Writing Week – moving from complicated to complex

Take a look at this excellent piece by Mr. Winchester, readers: Writing Week - moving from complicated to complex There’s probably some irony in trying to make the subject of complexity itself a simple discussion. “It’s too easy to cross the line from complex to complicated. And complicated is bad.” -Chuck of SFDebris If I was …