Blog
Not So Black and White: Moral Ambiguity in Character Development
Are people essentially good, or essentially bad? Ambiguity makes characters more interesting.
Self Publishing and the Editor
Good reviews are related to sales, both for the current book and subsequent books published by the same writer. Reputation is everything, and your editor can help.
What’s Wrong With My Story?
You just can't quite put your finger on it. Something's not right about your picture book text. You've written and rewritten, revised and tweaked. You have fabulous, well-rounded characters, the language sings, and the hilarious gags only underline the importance and...
How To Use Embedded Comments
Do you use Word's “embedded comments” feature? It's a tool I use every day when I am editing, but I also find it extremely handy when I am writing. I often want to leave a note to myself about a character or a plot idea or some back-story, but without stopping to find...
What is the Difference Between Sci-fi and Fantasy?
Science fiction and fantasy are often lumped together. But as a writer it is important to understand the differences.
Tips for Writing a Memoir
Writing my memoir Memoir is one of the most popular genres among first-time writers. What story does one know more intimately than one's own life? Still, writers who tackle memoirs often do so on the mistaken assumption that such a text might be straightforward and...
Building the Dream World
Getting the Details of Your Dream World Story Right An early dream world we witness in the movie Inception flops because its architect failed to get the carpet right; when the dreamer is pushed to the floor, his cheek touches the carpet and his attention is then locked on the difference between it and the […]
Going into All the World with the Gospel, Part 3
Advice for Christian Fiction Writers Part 3: Can a Christian Novelist Go Too Far?first and second posts: Can Christian novelists go too far with their content in trying to reach the world with life-changing stories that can touch hearts and point readers toward God? At the end of the second post, I took us into […]
How to Write Character-Driven Science Fiction and Fantasy Stories, Part 2
In my previous article, I introduced the idea of the character-driven vs. the plot-driven story, arguing that if the plot drives the story, that’s tantamount to the writer driving the story. And if the writer is driving the story, that means the characters aren’t. As a result, such stories feel flat, cold, and unconvincing. As […]
How to Write Character-Driven Science Fiction and Fantasy Stories
One of the most common problems with the fantasy and science fiction manuscripts I read is that they are plot-driven rather than character-driven. This approach is exactly the opposite of how things should happen.
5 Elements of an Effective Author Website
Your author website is the hub of your online presence. Get the most out of it with these five tips.
Why You Should Hire A Professional Book Editor
Recently, the New York Times notified their editorial staff that they were going to lay off buy out half of them. So the editorial staff published an open letter to Executive Editor Dean Baquet and Managing Editor Joe Kahn. In it, they describe some of what we editors...
The Power of Nielsen BookScan
A few years ago, a writer asked me about the potential salability of his Kansas City Chiefs trivia book. I politely told him that publishers likely wouldn’t be interested, and that he’d have a much better chance selling a Green Bay Packers book. I knew this because the publishing company I worked for, Publications International, […]
Top 5 Reasons You Need A Professional Beta Reader
What is a beta reader? A beta reader, at the behest of an author, reviews and provides feedback on a work of fiction before it is submitted to agents or publishers. Beta readers, like "beta testers" in the software industry, look for inherent flaws in a product before...
Simultaneous Submissions: What’s the Deal Here?
The modern writer is as much artisan as artist, creating entertainment and elucidation from little more than imagination, research, and electrons. But creation may be the easiest aspect of the writer’s life, especially among those who write short stories “on spec,” with no guarantee of publication. Next comes the harsh and often painful process of […]
