The Outcome Can Terrorize You If there's a thousand ways to do something, there's a thousand ways to do it right. And a thousand ways to muck it up. And the truth is -- you'll never find the process that works for you, without stumbling through a few of those. In On Writing Well, by William [...]
It's a difficult thing, a solid thing, a hard thing: to let go. To release. But, decisions change the world.
Writing emotions is complicated. Do all your characters' emotions make sense? Tips for writing fiction and nonfiction.
Writers, editors, and others who stare at computers for a long time are at risk of eye strain. Tips to keep your eyes healthy.
Who are your readers? Who are your characters? How do you connect them? In essence, this is the challenge of the fiction writer -- replacing real people with believable ones, and then somehow making them real for the real ones. The connections? Personality. (Not even "humanity" because even non-human characters need to have a personality.) [...]
Emotion breaks across the page in poetry. I examine how Charles Bukowski hid vulnerability in his strength.
Readers think they're smart. Be prepared to go Gonzo rather than trying to trick them.
Realistically, not all conversations between characters of the same gender revolve around the opposite gender.
Death is coming. For each of your characters. How will they live, knowing this truth? And what to do about vampires?
Creativity is a gift. And a curse. Creative editors help writers make the most of their spark.