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On egocentrism
I don’t consider myself the main character. More like the wacky side character who always has some new adventure or improbable project — and who is sufficiently genre-savvy to never wear a red shirt.
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Redesign
The previous theme was pretty, but it didn’t have much going for it in terms of customization or navigation. (Kudos to all five of you super-fans who managed to find the elusive subscription box! I honestly have no clue how you did it.) This new and (mildly) improved version has the fancy navigation bar up…
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Semicolons: the Comprehensive Guide!
How to use semicolons in your fiction: Step 1: a colonoscopy scene! Step 2: oh no, something went wrong… Step 3: the character has only half a colon now. This has been your guide on using semicolons in fiction.
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When people ask me where I get my ideas…
I caught the slightest whiff of leather conditioner. My training took over: I jumped to the side without even thinking, barely avoiding the bullwhip’s supersonic strike. It echoed in the dim and silent hallway. I landed like a cat, my heart racing, my eyes taking in every tactical detail, my hands clutching the expandable batons.…
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A humble tip for solo writers
My biggest tip for writers who have no editors (I too am one such writer) is to always read your final draft out loud. Not in your head, not with a quiet whisper, but OUT LOUD – accept no substitutes! That’s the best way of identifying the clunky turn of phrase or an awkward sentence…
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Intuitive Story Length
After submitting my stories to so many magazines, I’ve noticed something interesting: I have almost no stories in the 3,000-6,000 word range. (Some of those magazines are verrrry specific!) My comfort level when writing is somewhere between 1,200-2,500 words, and though I can inflate the word count through more descriptors and dialogue and random asides,…