Designing characters isn’t the most important aspect of writing – first you have to develop a character’s personality, her hobbies and career, her extracurricular activity, the way she talks, her relationships, and so on. That said, appearance is important. Not everyone should have purple hair and yellow eyes, but how Read more…
It’s not unusual for writers to gravitate towards certain ideas. While others might consider the reusing of such ideas to be lazy, a great writer can take similar concepts and make them different each time. Provided a writer is willing to flesh out his characters, and be inventive in his Read more…
When improving their craft, writers are bombarded with advice—with lists of what to do and what not to do, why such mistakes will ruin their book, and why it’s crucial you follow these rules. What they don’t tell you in these self help blogs for authors is that your favourite Read more…
The names used in Harry Potter are more than catchy monikers. Many of the names, including those used for minor characters, have special meanings. Some are layered in meaning, while others describe the personality a character has, such as Dumbledore’s tendency to pace about his office murmuring to himself. This Read more…
There’s a certain badge of honour attributed to authors who land a traditional deal, while writers who are self published have to work through a stigma. The stigma is understandable. After all, anyone can self publish; this means there is no quality control, which in turn has allowed the proliferation Read more…
The name M. Night Shyamalan is one many of us may be somewhat familiar with. Though he hasn’t reached the same level of fame as Stephen Spielberg, his name nevertheless carries some weight in the film industry—both good and bad. If you’re older, you’ll know him as the creator of Read more…
Much as we might dream of making a living writing books, the sobering reality is that few of us ever will—even if accepted by a traditional publisher. When you pick up a book at the store, the majority of the authors you come across within are working a day job. Read more…
Writers are expected to do a great deal, and likely for no pay. It’s a fate we’ve accepted, because we’re dedicated to our craft and honestly obsessed with it. However, obsessed or not, it’s not always the easiest job in the world. Half of what makes writing complicated isn’t the Read more…
In my posts, 11 Types of Creative Writing (Part 1 and Part 2) I discussed the various mediums writers of fiction could experiment with. These aren’t to be confused with writing types, such as blogging or copywriting, nor with genres, such as fantasy or romance. Instead, these are categories which Read more…
If there’s one activity every author should at least try, it’s reviewing books. The book can be ten years old or newly released, but the process remains the same. The fundamentals which constitute an entertaining story have changed little in the last hundred years—you may even be of the opinion Read more…