Category: Creative Process

September 23, 2015

Don’t Forget the Everyday

When you’re focused on the big picture of the plot, it’s easy to forget that the character has a normal life that’s been put aside for this adventure – little things that have to happen every day for life to go on. When the author ignores everyday life completely, however, the story gets a bit surreal and less believable. I...

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September 17, 2015

Stories, Waiting To Be Told

Yesterday’s Patrick Rothfuss quote made me think about several novels that I’ve started over the years and either never worked on or never finished. Some of them were simply ideas I jotted down. Others I worked on in novel writing classes. I like all of them (some more than others). When I come across them on my computer, I’m still...

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September 16, 2015

Sometimes Stories Don’t Work Out

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September 10, 2015

All Authors Are Thieves

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September 9, 2015

Read, Read, And Read Some More!

One of the most common recommendations for aspiring authors is to read. Read as much as possible. And it’s good advice. You see, reading works like osmosis. You learn about plot techniques, writing methods, and character building (and more) without consciously thinking that you’re learning. You simply absorb it. And the more good writing you’re exposed to, the more good writing habits you...

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September 5, 2015

Plotting with Post-Its

Every author has a different plotting method that they prefer. I vary between a few different styles, depending on what I’m working on. This week, I’ve been using a post-it method. For me, this means writing scenes or plot details on post-it notes and laying them out on foam core. I like putting them on foam core rather than a wall...

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September 4, 2015

Get Caught Up

Have you ever read a scene where a character seemed a little too calm or reacted a little too rationally? Well, there’s a reason for that. Think back in your own life. Remember when people have told you about problems in their personal lives? From your perspective, there was an obvious and simple solution for most of them, but they...

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September 2, 2015

Literary Pretension: Real or Imagined?

When you see the same situation appear in multiple works by multiple authors, you start to wonder whether it happens in real life. At least, I do. I don’t mean vampire attacks or things like that. I’m thinking more plausible situations – like writing professors sneering at students who want to publish regular paperback fiction. I’ve never had that happen...

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September 1, 2015

While I’m on a Sondheim Kick, Here’s a Quote for Artists of Any Kind

This quote is from the song “Move On” from the musical, Sunday in the Park with George by Stephen Sondheim. It’s a beautiful song full of other lovely quotes for aspiring artists of any kind. Personally, I like this version with Bernadette Peters and Mandy Patinkin: “Move On.” This quote is from the very end.

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August 24, 2015

Plotting Against Your Characters

If you want to challenge your plot, put the protagonist in a situation you don’t think he or she can get out of. Then, make the character find a way out. It’s like a narrative video game – for example, a first-person shooter. You run the character through until the character dies. When that happens, you go back to the...

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