When to Outline and Why

When it comes to outlines, there are lots of ways to tackle it. You've got story structure, skeletal narratives, beat sheets, breakdowns of scenes and plots and arcs and this and that. Depending on how you do them, outlines can be a lot of work with what you choose to include in them. I don't usually …

Writing isn’t Torture

ATTN. WRITERS: The act of writing isn't miserable. It doesn't suck. It isn't a burden and it isn't torture. Writing is not a punishment. You are not a victim of writing. Writing is a choice, no matter the reasoning that leads to that choice, it still remains a voluntary act - a luxury of time …

Maintaining Focus while Remaining Open

When it comes to writing, no matter where you are in terms of skill or talent, it's important to keep focused on your own goals while also keeping yourself open to new ideas, techniques, and attitudes. It is a personal balance between application of knowledge and individual direction. Discernment is a powerful tool for an …

CC: PulpRev Writers

This is a quick and messy post I wanted to throw out before getting back to work on my books today. It pertains to PulpRev as a community of growing writers, artists, and authors and is meant for those involved in it. Something I enjoy about PulpRev is the clash of ideas that occurs between …

In Your Character’s Mind

For authors, the practice of delving into the thoughts, feelings, and processes of our characters is extremely important. The depth of this process for each character is dictated by the level of focus a story maintains on the particular character. NPC-types don't need much, if any, exploration into the internal except for a lark. Protagonists …

Do Your Characters Control You?

As a creator of unique fictional worlds, it is important to remember that YOU are the one who controls canon over the setting, the plot, and the characters. Writers flirt with giving characters "consciousnesses" and talking about fictional worlds as if they exist outside of themselves. There are a few reasons for this. One of which is …

Chapter length: How long is too short?

Chapter length is a decision every author has to make when putting together a novel. While less of an issue with short stories, novels have to be broken up in ways that are easily consumable by readers. There is no specific number that is the ideal length for a chapter. Like most elements of a novel, …

How Dreams Influence Writing

Dreams, what exactly are they and how do they relate to our writing? Literal dreams are the visions, images, and stories you experience during slumber or sometimes in different states of consciousness. This does not pertain to 'dreams' in the sense of goals or future aims. The idea of studying dreams became popularized by Carl Jung and his …

A Matter of Perspective (#0039)

Let's talk about Perspective a little bit. Not first-person, not second-person, not even third-person perspectives. If you'd like to read about literal Point of View involving a narrator's position, then feel free to read these decent articles on the issue; The Write Practice's Point of View in Writing, Aim's College Points of View in Writing, Quick …

Tips and Tricks to Increasing Word Count – NaNo15

Inspired by NaNoWriMo. I didn't reference anything for this, just wrote my own experience, so I'm sure there is overlap with other lists out there. Anyways, here are my most used Tips and Tricks to Increasing Word Count on my NaNo Manuscript. Write Dialogue between 2-3 characters. Whenever I start writing dialogue, the characters often …