Point of View

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Point of View: You Can Go Back (But Should You?)

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Back in Time - Deposit Photos

Frasier is back. We saw the previews a month or two ago, and were convinced that it was going to be a total train wreck. But we’ve watched the first three episodes now, and it’s actually not bad. The show’s tone picks up pretty adroitly where the original series left off, and if it’s not quite as fresh as it once was, it’s still fun to settle back into Frasier’s world, as comfy as Martin Crane’s chair. And last Friday we watched Beverly Hills Cop and Flashdance back-to-back, and it was fun to travel back the 80’s again, my formative … Read more

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Point of View: Letting in the Light

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Light and ladder - deposit photos

Not since the depths of the pandemic have things seemed so dark. And at least then, there was a brief (these things are always brief) feeling of unity as we faced the viral invader together. Now there are wars breaking out, senseless and savage slaughter, rapidly escalating climate change, political chaos, and, as if nature had a sense of humor, a fiery eclipse. It’s enough to throw even the strongest of us into despair. I’m not immune, either. Though I have a generally optimistic mindset, one that usually springs back quickly, even I find myself dragged down by the seemingly … Read more

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Point of View: Becoming Italian

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Italian Heart - Deposit Photos

I’m not Italian. Not even a little bit. And yet I speak the language (almost fluently!) and love almost all things Italian (y’all can keep your Timpano). The food, the culture, the history and the people all fascinate me, and some of our best friends are actual Italians living in Italy, whom we talk to on Zoom on a weekly basis. So how did I become (almost) Italian? And why? Back in elementary school, I was fascinated by other cultures, especially Native American ones. I grew up in Tucson, in the heart of the southern Arizona desert, steeped in both … Read more

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Point of View: You’re Only as Thick as Your Skin

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man in full armor - deposit photos

“The truth is, publishing will break your heart, but you can’t let that stop you. You need to be tough. Really tough, or take your scribbles and go home. Becoming a writer isn’t a stroll through the park, with bluebirds singing and cute animals running by your side. It’s the freaking Thunderdome. Bring armor.” —Jamie Lee Moyer, Author and Editor Publishing is famously called the lowest paid profession for a reason. And writers, especially newbie ones, are at the bottom of the barrel. There are literally millions of us, many quite talented, and with the ease of indie publishing these … Read more

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Point of View: There Are No New Ideas. Or Are There?

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boring - deposit photos

I sometimes pine for the Golden Age era of sci-fi, when everything was new. Each story idea shone with fresh brilliance, and many of the tropes we still use today were just being invented by Asimov, Clarke, Bradbury and others. Sure, it was pretty much a white-men-only club (with a few notable exceptions). Yes, you had to write everything on a typewriter (they didn’t even have correction fluid until the late fifties), and there was no such thing as self publishing, or home computers, or Amazon, or the web in general. Still, as a sci-fi writer in the late Thirties … Read more

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Point of View: Break the Rules

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books breaking through a wall - deposit photos

So many rules. Every part of our lives is governed by them, and sadly writing is no exception. There are rules of grammar: 
If you made it through high school English and you want be a writer, you probably have a pretty decent handle on these rules. But there are others, too. For instance, formatting rules, which can shift and change over time: There are many more… for standard formatting guidelines, check out William Shunn’s formatting guides online—these have become industry standard
. There are rules for characters: There are many more of these that the typical writer picks up in … Read more

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Point Of View: Hitting The Beats (It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint)

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drummer - deposit photos

One of the hardest tricks to learn when writing novels is pacing. It’s a little easier with a short story—at 5-15,000 words, it’s harder for readers to become bored with your characters’ exploits. But with a novella or novel, pacing becomes more important. The classic example of a pacing template comes from the historical Romance market. Once upon a time, there were very specific plot expectations laid out for romance books by the major Romance publishers: • The characters meet • They’re in denial about their connection • They decide to give it a chance • They date • There’s … Read more

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Point of View: Building a House

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house made of books - Deposit Photos

In writing, there are many different forms, or structures, to choose from when you decide to write something new. Which one you use depends on the story you want to tell. It’s like building a house. Maybe you have one person’s story to tell, something that takes place over a fairly short period of time. You might choose to build a small studio apartment, where everything has its place and nothing that isn’t necessary is included. That’s a short story, usually anything up to 15,000 words. Maybe you want to tell the story of a couple characters, but still over … Read more

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Point of View: The Gauntlet Runner – Making of the Cover

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The Gauntlet Runner - J. Scott Coatsworth

It’s almost here. Just three and a half more weeks until the release of book two in the Tharassas Cycle, The Gauntlet Runner. This is the follow-up to The Dragon Eater, and I’m thrilled to be finally bringing it to you all. For my Point of View column today, I thought it would be fun to share the evolution of the cover with you. This one (like the first book) was created by my amazing friend and graphic artist Kelley York at Sleepy Fox Studio. We started with a pose and a rough approximation of the character: The pose isn’t … Read more

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Point of View: From the Top

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writer and notebook - deposit photos

Maybe you were a writing whiz in high school, and finished your first novel before you were eighteen. Or maybe you’re in your fifties (or seventies) and just discovered your great desire to pen fascinating stories that everyone will want to read. No matter when and where you start, you’ll need to learn the basics before your writing can soar. There Are (Weird, Contradictory) Rules The history of writing goes back almost as far as humankind, with ancient civilizations employing cuneiform and hieroglyphs to tell stories and communicate information verbally. And since you’re not (I’m guessing) Mesopotamian, you probably share … Read more