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 …

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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 …

New experiences = New ideas

If you read the same books, watch the same shows, go to the same places, eat the same foods, do the same things every day--it stands to reason you're going to think the same thoughts every day. Thoughts are products of our experiences, a rearranging of things we already know. So if you want some new …

Iconic scenes in literature

Sometimes, stuff just sticks with you. Over weeks or months or years, sometimes that one scene stays burned into your brain. What is it about these scenes that makes them stay? It can sometimes just be a very shocking scene, or maybe its a certain description that really resonates with you and seems so true …

The Dark Forest, by Cixin Liu

I just finished this sequel to the Three Body Problem, and once again my mind is blown. This book left me with a picture of the universe I never imagined... a dark forest indeed. The only complaint anyone seems to have about this series is the characters, and though they are more fleshed out in this one, they …

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