Reposted: How to Create Villains Who Are Actually Intimidating

An excellent article, readers: How to Create Villains Who Are Actually Intimidating Horror of horrors, beta readers keep telling you that your villain isn’t scary. You’ve given him a tragic past, control issues, and bloodlust. He even has an impeccable sense of style and color coordinates his weapons and outfits. Why isn’t he memorable? Villains …

Reposted – Orwell and Lewis: The Supernatural Keeps Breaking In

This piece by Mr. John C. Wright was too good to pass up, readers. Enjoy! Orwell and Lewis: The Supernatural Keeps Breaking In A longtime reader with the Latinate yet indecipherable name of Nostreculsus,  while discussing THAT HIDEOUS STRENGTH by C.S. Lewis, writes: George Orwell reviewed Mr. Lewis’ book, with great appreciation of the concept, …

Reposted: Trimming Out the Story

Take a look at this thought-provoking article, readers: Trimming Out the Story I don’t mean cutting bits. I mean adding them. The little finishing touches that really tie everything together. Today we begin the final stage of the home improvement, and will be installing wainscoting and trim. The walls are painted, the carpeting is 90% …

Reposted – Creative Writing Reflection: Do Multiple Protagonists Require Some Pattern of Narration?

Take a look at this excellent article, readers: Creative Writing Reflection: Do Multiple Protagonists Require Some Pattern of Narration? multiple protagonists: how do you find balance? Every story, and therefore every novel, has a protagonist: at least one. I wrote yesterday about troubles I’m having with a character trying to fight her way up, becoming more …

Reposted – Business Musings: How Writers Fail (Part One)

Take a look at this excellent piece by Kristine Katheryn Rusch, readers: Business Musings: How Writers Fail (Part One) I keep forgetting that working in the arts requires a very specific sort of attitude. It’s an attitude that can be trained, but to do that, an artist must want to change. This is a complex …

Writerly Sound Bites, Number 11: Write What You Know, or Who You Know?

Mr. Haldeman’s statement appears rather condemning at first blush. “Write what you know” – what do you know? In the speculative genres, none of us know what space travel or Faerie is like. We can study the biographies of astronauts, but that does not mean we know, firsthand, what it is like to visit space. …

A Word from John C. Wright

Busy week, readers. I'll be back soon, I hope. Until then, enjoy Mr. Wright's post! Science Fantasy We all know the difference between fantasy and science fiction. Fantasy has witches and wizards with magic powers, whereas in science fiction the exact same character doing the exact same thing is called a psychic or psionicist. Fairy …

Reposted: Do You Have to Write Every Day? 10 Pros and Cons

I am taking the week off again to focus on some items that need editing, readers. All is well on this side of the screen, just busy. Last week was spent with research and so editing slipped to the wayside. Until I return, please take a look at this piece from K.M. Weiland - particularly …

Reposted – Business Musings: The Final Brandon Sanderson Post

I have to take this week off again, readers. Until I return, please consider this article by Kristine Katheryn Rusch: Business Musings: The Final Brandon Sanderson Post Well, Brandon Sanderson’s Kickstarter is one for the record books. It became the highest grossing Kickstarter about a month before his Kickstarter closed. And then it continued to …

Writerly Sound Bites, Number 10: Character Progression – What About Characters Broken Beyond Repair?

Per the sixth installment in this series, we have seen that characters do not simply break due to an “earthshattering event.” The eighth installment, which had to be split into three separate articles, went into detail about how characters broken by other people can heal from this trauma. Some rightly ask, however, about the Character …