“If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.” ― Toni Morrison
Over the years, I've been forced to read many a poem, and, while I can appreciate the effort it takes to compose one, I can't say I'm a huge fan of the art form. However, that doesn't mean that I don't have a favorite poet. During my trip to Scotland last year, I came across… Continue reading Ode to the Worst Poet in the World
Is there anything quite as beautiful as writing the first draft of a story? Every moment is primed with intrigue, wonder, and mystery. You just paint everything on the metaphorical canvass as you see it in your mind's eye. Ideas pour forth from you like a soda fountain filled with Mentos You pat yourself on… Continue reading Editing is the Worst Thing Ever
Last week I wrote a post about Mary Sues and why people write them. Today, I want to give you some unsolicited pointers on how to avoid writing a Mary Sue, or even a Gary Stu (the male equivalent). Enjoy! Start with a real person. While it may not be a good idea to base a… Continue reading How to Mary Sue Proof Your Characters
For those of you who aren't familiar with what a Mary Sue is, it's essentially a female character that is too perfect. A character that is always morally correct no matter what, has all the male protagonists drooling themselves over her even though she would describe herself as plain, and is special without having to… Continue reading Why Do People Write Mary Sues?
I've seen several Instagram posts that say things like "is it sad that my characters are my best friends?" or "I have more conversations with my characters than I do with real people. Is that bad?" Yes. Yes, it is. Not because you're a wallflower with friends that exist only in your mind. That's perfectly… Continue reading Your Characters are NOT Your Friends: A Public Service Announcement for Writers
Conventional wisdom says that you're supposed to write what you know. However, I have decided to go the harder route and try writing what I don't know. Why am I trying to carry out this obviously horrible idea? Because if I never try anything new, every single protagonist I write will be an introverted middle-class… Continue reading How I’m Writing What I Don’t Know
A few years ago, my novel writing class had a high-profile guest speaker talk to us: the award-winning author of a YA book we had been assigned to read about a week prior. I was pretty jazzed about it considering how much I'd enjoyed the story. I've had predominately good experiences with meeting published authors… Continue reading When a Writer You Admire is a Jerk
When you decide to become a writer, there's one truth that you must confront at some point: what you write will probably not be as good on paper as it was in your head. I've come to realize this after multiple drafts and constant rewrites of fiction, nonfiction, blog posts and etc. I know it's… Continue reading If You Want To Be a Writer, Lower Your Expectations a Lot
Does anyone else get their ideas when it's most inconvenient? I think I am at my most creative during the height of the school semester where everything is due and my entire future hangs in the balance.. I'll be mentally calculating how much time I should commit to studying and she'll show up, donut in… Continue reading My Muse Hates Free Time
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
The Crooked Pen 