Don’t hoard your ideas

Similar to what I was saying yesterday, but more specifically, use ALL your ideas--that is to say, don't ration them out as if you're starving for them, picking one 'great' idea and then trying to build an entire novel around one single observance or cool twist. Cram all the good ideas you can fit, into …

Always make the best move possible

When I was a kid we had a chess set, and the little booklet that came with it had a list of tips. I only remember one of them, the first one: "Always play the best move possible." We always thought that was hilarious, because, of course you want to play the best move, you …

Quantity over Quality

The year is almost over, and it's going to be the worst year--as far as number of views--that my blog has had since its creation. Probably cause I went three months without making a post. It is becoming clearer and clearer to me that in the world of unknown writers, quality without quantity is as …

Mood music

I find that when I'm aiming for a certain tone or vibe in my writing, it helps a lot to be listening to music that evokes the same feeling I'm going for. It puts my brain into the right gear and the visions of what I need to write come a lot easier. What are …

Passengers: tell me why I should bother

There are probably only two people awake on that ship because they used 95% of the budget to pay Lawrence and Pratt. From where I'm sitting, this looks like a blockbuster written by executives that is masquerading as some kind of cerebral thriller. I find it hard to believe that anything this big and expensive …