The simple gestures that seem so extraneous in a first draft are placeholders that serve several valid—and vital—purposes.
Writing Articles
Writing by Ear
Just as in music, the rhythm and melody of the language shape meaning in prose, and a “wrong note” means I need to consider the nuances. Here are a few recent examples and my thought process around them.
World Building: Slang, Idioms & Adages
Slang, Idioms, adages and folk sayings are a terrific way to make sure characters are grounded in their setting and slip in some world-building that doesn’t require a lot of description.
Let Me Introduce Myself
The phrases we use to give our name provide a glimpse into personality and psychology.
Four Ways a Writer Can Use AI
Amid all the debate about Artificial Intelligence, I’ve found a way to incorporate an AI Team into my fiction-writing process without impinging on my creativity.
Collecting Words
One way to expand your working vocabulary is to give new words time to become familiar before you use them.
Outlines, Maps, and Mistakes
The initial outline is like a marked map, and writing the first draft is like hiking. Sometimes it’s the detours that yield the best view.
Descriptive Powers: Similes, Metaphors, and Associations, Oh My!
Similes and metaphors are important tools for descriptive writing, and help writers add style to their prose.
Beyond the Dashboard—By the Numbers, By the Words
A “bestseller” isn’t the only successful book. There’s another definition of success, and it can’t be captured in numbers.
Beta Readers & the Junk Drawer
Giving a draft of a work in progress is a major milestone–and an awful lot like inviting someone to snoop around the house. It’s also magic.
The Elements of Genre
A book’s genre is a clue about the balance between the main drivers of story – plot, character, or setting.
Important Books
Most books are not Important Books, no matter how excellent they are – but if a book makes you think, isn’t that what’s important?