No matter what you write, you will have some kind of theme in mind. Even fiction has themes. Love conquers all, is one example. Good triumphs over evil is another. You may not state it outright in your fiction,…
No matter what you write, you will have some kind of theme in mind. Even fiction has themes. Love conquers all, is one example. Good triumphs over evil is another. You may not state it outright in your fiction,…
Today I give you another writing exercise. In fact, it’s a combination of exercise and challenge. When you complete the exercise, you will have five drabbles, that is five stories of one hundred words each. Each story will use one…
I use several tools when I’m developing a story. There are two word documents I created. The first, I called Project Development sheet and one I call World Building Document. I have them pre-created in that there are headings and…
Do you think writer’s block is real? I do, although some people don’t. I often suffer from it. I know the causes of my writer’s block. The cause of yours may not be the same. My blocks often come from…
There are three types of writers. There are the planners, the pantsers, and the plantsers. Every writer in the world falls into one of these three categories. All three of these types have merit. They are just names for the…
The dictionary says a vignette is “a brief evocative description, account, or episode,” or “a small illustration or portrait photograph which fades into its background without a definite border.” The first definition is the one that concerns us here. Vignettes…
Research is one of the most important things a writer can do as part of its writing process. The reason for it is obvious for non-fiction writers, but fiction writers need to do their share as well. They just don’t…
Genre is a category of artistic composition. The word applies to literature and music. It means works similar in form, style, or subject matter. I’ll be talking about the literary genres. Some people say there are four main ones, drama,…
Starting a writing project takes many forms. I generally start with a premise. I give it a working title and begin expanding the premise. I create characters, settings, and plot. I also consider how long the piece should be. I…
When you are writing, how do you visualize the words? Do they flow or come without effort? Or do you struggle with each one? Either way, you aren’t alone. I’ve strained over writing a piece, agonizing over each word. I’ve…