“If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.” ― Toni Morrison
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?
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 love historical fiction. Especially novels that take place around the Victorian or Regency era. I realize I'm romanticizing a period of inequality, poor hygiene, and convoluted social rules, but dammit if they didn't look good in those waistcoats. What I don't love (well, besides everything I listed above) is all of the research that… Continue reading Research, Write, Repeat: Historical Fiction
The Crooked Pen 