“If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.” ― Toni Morrison
Hello, men. I am a woman. Today I am going to give you some tips on how to write female characters. Keep in mind that women are human beings and no woman is exactly the same as another. However, I'm hoping to give you at least a general idea of how to pull off a… Continue reading How to Write Women: a Guide for Men
If you have perused a YA section of a bookstore in the last three years, then you've likely come across the cover of a fairytale reimagining. Perhaps one book tells the story of Cinderella, a valiant warrior, who loses her magical boot in the middle of a battle and an infatuated warlord must return it… Continue reading Are Fairytale Reimaginings Becoming Unimaginative?
I wasn't going to do a Thanksgiving post, but then I got to thinking of how far I've come in the last year or so. I went from having zero likes and scant amount of views to having a fair few faithful readers who are willing to read my stuff and give me their feedback. I… Continue reading Thank You To All The People That Follow Me
They say one of the best things about being a writer is that you can do it in your pajamas. I'm inclined to agree (although I very rarely write in my pjs ). But it goes farther than that. One of the greatest things about being a writer is the freedom to express yourself. However,… Continue reading Ode to My Lack of Motivation
I hear readers complain time and time again that they cannot get into a story because the character is a "bad person."Now I can understand not wanting to read something because the character is unbelievable or underdeveloped, but a bad person? I say "bad people" make some of the best characters. Why? Three reasons: 1. They're more… Continue reading Why You Should Love Unloveable Characters
It's pretty obvious that one of the central components to a story is the conflict. It doesn't matter what the conflict is: fighting the Dark Lord, winning the beef cake, or keeping the world from losing its Twinkies. There just has to be a problem for the protagonist to solve. I am good at coming… Continue reading A Writer’s Dilemma: The Problem With Conflict
It's been over a week since I've updated this blog and I've been feeling guilty about neglecting it. I would use the excuse that I've been busy (and I have), but more than that, I've been emotionally rung out (haven't we all) and I didn't trust myself to use this medium without making it all… Continue reading Amidst Political Chaos, My Novel Progresses
I suspected this day would come. I had just hoped I would be more ready for it. I realized upon rereading the most recent draft of my latest project that I would not be able to do my characters justice in such a short amount of time. If I want to tell the story and… Continue reading My Novella is a Novel Now
I've had a difficult time writing recently because I have had two crappy events occur in a single week. The first I won't discuss here, but I hope that my writing about the second event will help me get my mojo flowing again. I was driving home from school after dropping off some camera equipment… Continue reading My First Car is Dead: My Car Accident
After over a year of the same theme, I thought I might try something a little more bold as far as my blog's template is concerned. I'm not sure how people will respond to it, but I believe it's an improvement over the original. My attempt was to look a little bit more professional and… Continue reading Giving My Blog a Makeover
The Crooked Pen 