Who or what has been a big influence on your writing, be it a book, film, or mentor? “I started out almost as a documentary director and ended up as a producer of opera.” Michael Powell Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s amazing movie, Black Narcissus, was a huge influence on my novel The Mirror, which is set entirely…
Category: on prose writing
Mike Stone: "Write What You Know About"
“Character is what interests me most. I fell in love with the characters in my novels.” Interview with Mike Stone of https://uncollectedworks.wordpress.com See his work in The Woven Tale Press Vol. III #11 Tell us about your writing process. (Do you outline, revise extensively, use pen and paper, stickies, etc.) The answer depends on the kind of…
A Lesson in Odes
by Laura Shovan [dropcap]O[/dropcap]des are all about tone. Show enough enthusiasm for even a simple object like a shoe, and a poet can convince the reader of the object’s value, that it’s worthy of attention. That is what Chilean poet Pablo Neruda did with his Odes to Common Things, a book which still influences poets…
20 Ways to Avoid the Word "Very"
By Amreen B. Shaikh of https://painttheworldwithwords.wordpress.com Writing is a very wise sagacious exercise. One writes to emote their thoughts, ideas and concepts to the world. But there are few words which hinder the flow of it when one reads, and actually are considered a cliche in writing. I recently read about the wrong in using the word “very” in…
Story-Telling’s 3 A’s: about, About, ABOUT
By Eduardo Suastegui of http://www.eduardosuastegui.com What is this story about? To write it, you have to know the answer to that question. It’s a simple question—deceptively so. But yeah, if you’re going to have any idea of what to write next, and if you’re going to write a semi-coherent story summary blurb, you have to know what…
Writers' Advice, Tips, and Theories
Here is a list of essays, articles, quotes, and links on writing advice, tips, theory, and thought. (From 23 Tips from Famous Writers) “Let the writer take up surgery or bricklaying if he is interested in technique. There is no mechanical way to get the writing done, no shortcut. The young writer would be a…
How to Hang Onto Your Next Big Idea When You Need Sleep
You’re tapping that keyboard late into the night and tell yourself, “Man, I’ve got to get this writing out.” But your Wise shoulder angel slugs your Writing shoulder angel and says, “You’ve gotta sleep! There’s an early morning ahead of you.” What do you do? If you stop writing now, you can get some sleep…
De-cliché-ify A Phrase Like "Everything Went Black"
What is that phrase you read that bugs you? It’s not cliché (like all that and a bag of chips), but yet, because it appears in almost every single book you read, it is cliché. My phrase: Everything went black. (Here’s a little something fun–the origin of the phrase “everything went black” and other clichés…)…
Come To The Bright Side: Character 101
You know the rules. Things have got to get worse before they can get better. Let your character have a goal, but don’t give him what he wants. That’s why people keep reading. You’ve also got to dish up all your character’s flaws on a silver platter. To have a moving story, your flawed character…
Quitting Isn't Complicated
By Sydney Scrogham He left before it rained. He’s across from me on the couch, sitting crisscross applesauce, and he picks at the hem of his brown t-shirt. My hands sandwich between my legs as I bounce my knees up and down against the grey-blue couch cushions—like a butterfly without flight. Shadows from my legs…
5 Things Writers Know Are True
You’re a creative artist, and no one (except for other creative artists) understands you. I get that. Here are some things you know are true that other people around you just don’t get! There’s a season for writing (and planning, and editing…). You sit at the computer and wail at the blank screen. Your pen…
How to Manage an Unruly Manuscript
The Timeline: Early readers of Stella Rose have asked me how I managed to keep it all straight. Granted, Stella Rose is no Game of Thrones in complexity, but it does reflect contemporary lifestyles which are complicated and tangled. So how does a novelist keep it all straight? Tools. NOTE: I hate tools. Most folks love…