I'm very near to the end of a first draft of my novel, and am having a harder and harder time keeping thoughts of all the hard work ahead at bay. So many things to add, and change, and remove. So many crappy sentences to fix, words to remove, characters to insert and excise. It's …
Be the best you can be
I recently started reading The Crimson Petal and the White, Â by Michel Faber, in my attempt to read instead of browse the internet and social media on my devices. I can't remember the last time I've been so impressed by prose, if ever. The story follows a young prostitute in 1870's London--a subject I have …
Character motivation is kind of important
I am currently listening to The Warrior's Apprentice by Lois Mcmaster Bujold, and though it is competently written and the characters are distinct and likable, I am having a hard time getting into it . The problem is it's difficult to care about what's happening when you don't know what the characters want. The story …
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Discovery writing
I get why they call it that, I really do. When I write, I never know any details when I start. I have a vague idea of something I'd like to write about. Maybe I have a glimmer of a character, and some thing's she'll do, places she'll go. I have a sort of impression …
Remembering old inspiration
Reading through these stories I wrote years ago, I remember the ideas I had, the inspirations that drove me, and the satisfaction of completing the work. Even just remembering it is some motivation to do it again! No one really likes writing. Having written, though, is where it's at. So keep plowing forward, once you …

