Archive for October 2022
Why Classifying Books By Genre Needs to Die
If you go to agent or publisher websites, a common call is for writers to create something entirely fresh, something that doesn’t fit the usual molds. But even with those statements, I’m not at all convinced that the publishing world or general public has abandoned genre classifications as much as agencies and houses would have…
Read More5 Tips for Creating a Killer First Draft
Writing is a process, meaning that it’s not a great idea to expect to crank out a perfect first draft. But I’m a sucker for efficiency and quality, too. I also believe in creating a first draft that doesn’t leave you with quite such a bad taste in your mouth. So if you’re aiming for just moldy…
Read MoreYour Unfinished Writing: Please Don’t Trash It
When I was back in college, I worked at the writing center for the university. Some nights, it would be ungodly slow, and there would be long lulls between helping students with their work. On one of those nights, to entertain myself, I drew a little picture of a character and mentally came up with…
Read MoreWhy Standup Comedians Are the Best Writing Teachers Ever
For a while now, I’ve been indulging in watching standup comedians online during my teeny bits of free time. (Netflix specials are fun, as are the late-night shows.) If you’re a writer who doesn’t do the same, I highly encourage you to start. What standup comedians offer Good standup inevitably gets you in a better…
Read MoreHow to Balance How You Talk and How You Write
Stop for a moment. Listen to some conversation around you. Does it sound at all like how you write? It probably doesn’t. This is normal. But if you want to be a good storyteller, then you have to find a balance between what you say and what you pen. There are four big rules for doing…
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