Remember when I said I was going to write another novel instead of shorts? Then when I said no wait, I'm going to work on editing? Well, now I've got some other plan. I'm going to sell a story to Clarkesworld, and keep writing stories until I do. If it means I write a novel …
Nested narratives
I'm about 3/4 done with Cloud Atlas and am starting to see the design of it. And it's really great. At first I thought that the first three, maybe even four narratives had no relevance to the final two, where the action and interest really kicked off. But now, as I begin to see how …
Voices
Sometimes I'm reading and I think 'I could stand you forever', and other times I want to toss the book aside from waiting for the character to change. But each character, and narrator, should have their own unique voice. Because, the narrator isn't 'you'. You are an actor playing the part of the narrator--and the characters--when …
Brainstorming
I finished the short story I was writing, and now I'm already planning the next novel. Shorts are too short! I want to dig in and put some real thought and effort into something again. This one is going to be a murder mystery... in space. It has a lot more characters than I usually …
The part where everything is explained
We all know the part. Whether it's movies, books or tv shows, often the story builds up all the intrigue and mystery until a breaking point, where all the answers burst forth. This can be satisfying, or overwhelming, or confusing, or boring. All depending on how well you do it. Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End …
Jonas David 