Challenging your writing is important, but what does that mean? It means trying something new—attempting a project outside your box of comfort—or switching everything up entirely. Challenging yourself can be a big or small adventure. You can try a new genre in a short story rather than a novel, for instance. But pushing yourself to… Continue reading Challenge Your Writing
Tag: writing advice
First or Third Person? Present or Past Tense? How Do You Decide?
So you're writing a book...but your book requires some decisions. Your narrative needs structure. And there are a million options to choose from. So how do you decide a perspective and a tense? What is the best combination for your book? Let me start out by saying that making the choice to write in first/third… Continue reading First or Third Person? Present or Past Tense? How Do You Decide?
The YA Protagonist’s Age: You’re 17? Me too!
The young adult genre is normally defined by coming-of-age stories, where the protagonists are often between the ages of 14 and 18. That being said, if you are publishing a YA story right now, chances are your protagonist is 17 years old. So why are most YA protagonists 17? Short Answer: The protagonist is old… Continue reading The YA Protagonist’s Age: You’re 17? Me too!
My Hate-Love Relationship with Historical Fiction
I love historical fiction. In fact, I’m currently binge reading, watching, and writing it right now. But I have a beef with it. (Does anyone even say that anymore? No? Oh, well.) If you’re curious, I’m reading Stalking Jack the Ripper, watching Reign, and writing a book set in the ancient world. Very different time… Continue reading My Hate-Love Relationship with Historical Fiction
Can Genres Die?
“Why are you writing a vampire/dystopian/princess novel? That won’t sell today! It’s been overdone. It’s dead.” If you’re a writer, you’ve probably participated in a conversation similar to the one above. Trends have a lot to do with the publishing industry. If you’re lucky enough to have something written and ready to go as the… Continue reading Can Genres Die?
Not All Villains Think They’re Good
“Every villain is the hero in their own story” is a common, popular writing tip, and while I agree, I think it is sometimes confused with “Every villain thinks they’re the good guy.” There’s a difference between thinking you’re a hero and thinking you’re a good guy, and not every villain thinks they’re a good… Continue reading Not All Villains Think They’re Good
Character Motivations vs Morals
Not going to lie, I recently binge-watched The 100 through Netflix. For those of you who don’t know, The 100 is a TV show based off a young adult series with the same name. The first season follows a group of 100 kids dropped off on earth after a nuclear disaster destroyed the planet 97… Continue reading Character Motivations vs Morals
Podcasts for Writers, SFF, & More
I love podcasts. Since I spend most of my day on the computer, I’ve fallen in love with listening to podcasts while I’m off the computer. It helps me rest my eyes, while also giving me a chance to continue my research—whether it’s for publishing or writing in general. Below, I’m including my top three… Continue reading Podcasts for Writers, SFF, & More
Reward Your Writing
Writing is hard. So is publishing. It’s easier than I want to admit to fall into a downward spiral of imposter syndrome. Or something worse. But there are ways to combat that spiral of doom. For me, that spiral consists of workaholic syndrome. I will write, write, write until I burn out, and sometimes, I’ll… Continue reading Reward Your Writing
Writers, Stop Comparing Yourselves
Recently, I finished my first manuscript of 2017. It was also my first pantsing novel…and a novel that I’m truly excited about. So excited, in fact, that I think it fueled me to write more than usual and share more information about a WIP than I normally do. If you follow my social media, you… Continue reading Writers, Stop Comparing Yourselves
