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 … Read more
It’s an age-old debate. Plotter or pantser? Is one better than the other? Which one are you? A plotter is someone who plans out their entire story in advance. Plotters are known for making extensive outlines, doing deep dives into internet searches to pull together all the materials they will need, and making sure all … Read more
In most fictional tales, the character(s) face a pivotal choice that will change everything. It can be as simple as deciding to declare your love in public for a secret crush. Or as big and bold as stealing the US Constitution (so-so movie, cool premise). Whatever the choice, it changes the course of the plot … Read more
Your characters are on a quest for the fabled Sword of Bighands. They’re sitting around a thick iron-banded wooden table at the Borderlands Pub, a dark, seedy local hangout where you can buy anything from drugs to human slaves. Or a really good guide to get you out of Bordertown and across the great Scorched … Read more
I’m writing again, and it feels really good. 🙂 But I’m doing it a little differently this time. I’m working over my first three chapters multiple times before moving ahead, making sure that I have three things settled in my head: The thrust of the plot The interdynamics of the characters The major and minor … Read more
Hey all, Over the last weekend, I attended the Dreamspinner Retreat in Orlando, an amazing opportunity to meet the staff and to learn more about how to write better. (On a side note, I was in the heart of the Disney World Resort and didn’t see anything other than the hotel *cries *). It was … Read more
* maniacal laughter in background * Hey all, Okay, so my next novel, “The Rising Tide,” is now out the door to the publisher. Which brings me to my strange new year, in which I will be writing the third and final books for not one but two trilogies – “Liminal Sky” and “The Oberon … Read more