Telling fictional tales gives us permission to break a few conventional eggs for the sake of making a delicious literary omelet, but writer beware; the limit does indeed exist.
Tag Archives: self-edits
Kill Your Darlings
Writers are artists, but the good ones are also cold, ruthless killers. Here’s how to commit literary murder―and get away with it, too.
Book Production and Marketing Dos and Don’ts
Writing a story is one thing; putting a book together is another. Here are some insider tips for book production and marketing that will help make the publishing process easier to swallow if you take them with a grain of salt—and some ibuprofen.
Man or Monster: Unmasking Villains
The fairy-tale villain is dead. Long live the character with many different faces lurking behind their most sinister mask.
Writing Contests (and Why They Make Us Want to Hurl)
Writing contests are great avenues for exposure and constructive criticism. So why does the prospect of entering them make us feel physically ill?
Writing Action Sequences
Actions speak louder than words―until they don’t. Contrary to their more obvious nature, writing action sequences is a delicate art.
Finding Your Groove: Music and the Creative Writing Process
The sound of silence doesn’t inspire everyone; sometimes writers have to learn to march to the beat of their own (or someone else’s very talented) drum.
How to Appreciate the First (Sucky) Draft
Lesson the first for every writer everywhere: the first draft almost always sucks. But that’s okay. In fact, sometimes that works to your advantage.
Join the Conversation: Reexamining Dialogue
When it comes to dialogue, writers really do need to say what they mean and mean what they say.
Writing Mythical Creatures
Fiction writing lends itself to an endless array of characters, from humans to mythical creatures: borrowed, created, or something in between.
K. Watkins 