Category: Writing
-
Writing Through the Dip
Every project has a point where it stops feeling like a good idea. At the start, you’ve got momentum. Energy. A shiny new premise that feels like it might be The One. The words come fast, or at least willingly, and there’s that sense of excitement—this time, it’s going to work. The words flow from…
-
Style and Structure Are the Essence
“Style and structure are the essence of a book; great ideas are hogwash.” – Vladimir Nabokov
-
There’s No Such Thing as a Wasted Draft
I’ve got entire folders full of unfinished stories. Scenes that trail off. Characters who never made it past chapter three. Worlds built and then left behind. Ideas that sparked brightly and then just… faded. I have a trilogy, the first ‘real’ writing I ever started – a full draft of book one, outlines for books…
-
Writing Advice is Not a Rulebook
Not every tip you read is meant for you. Some writers outline. Others don’t. Some write for a single, rigorously guarded hour every day. Others write in headlong, eight-hour long marathon sessions, then do nothing for a week or two. Some edit as they go. Others draft messy and clean it up later. The only…
-
Job #1: Tell the Story
It’s easy to get lost in the details. The structure. The pacing. The world-building. The themes. The voice. The rhythm of your prose. The way the light hits the side of the coffee cup in chapter two. All of that matters. Eventually. But your first responsibility—the one thing you have to do before any of…
-
Your First Draft Is Not Your Book
The first draft’s job is to get the story out of you. It’s not a book, not yet, but it’s the start of what your book will be.
-
The Hobbyist vs. The Professional
Hobbyists do it for love, and there’s no shame in that. Professionals show up and do the work. They treat writing like it’s a job.
-
Learn the Rules, Before You Break Them
The rules of writing are made to be broken, but you still need to know and understand them. Then, you can break them with intent, not out of ignorance.