“If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.” ― Toni Morrison
I'm trying to change my habits. But the bad ones just seem so engrained into me that if I were to exfoliate them like dead skin off of a calloused foot, I would have to keep going until I hit a bone. My bad habits are the axis on which my bizarre world turns. They… Continue reading A Good Habit is Hard to Find
Women having hair that is waist length. Most women I know don't have hair that is waist length. Do you know how hard it is to brush a monster that long, or keep it from getting caught in everything? Mine only went down to my shoulder blades and I had to chop it all off… Continue reading Annoying Clichés Writers Use (Featuring Adorable Cats)
I wrote a post around 6 months ago about how I was going to write every single day, no matter how much the product sucked. And for a while, I stuck to that goal. However, in recent months I've had difficulty maintaining. Some reasons are legitimate like I have had homework to do and personal… Continue reading Sucking (Writing) a Little Every Day Part II
For some people creating new worlds is easy. For others it's a bit more difficult. Here are a few things I've learned from experience: Write more information about this world than you will use in the story. Get out a notebook and write down as much about this world as you can: the landscapes, the… Continue reading The Short Guide to World-Building for Noobs
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
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
The Crooked Pen 