“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 never thought procrastination would be so simple, but I found a way. I found a way. I set out working on chapter seven of my story and somehow found myself plunging into the ether of pop culture sludge. For literally no reason at all, I began looking into the Drake and Josh controversy. In… Continue reading How Drake and Josh Are Destroying My Novel
It's been an inexcusably long time since I update this blog, I know. I try to update at least once a week, but this obviously hasn't been happening recently. I have a good reason for this, however...... Okay, not a good reason, but it is a reason nonetheless. You see, I've actually been writing recently.… Continue reading I’m Still Alive and Also Writing Things, or Going on a Writing Bender
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
Perhaps I'm in the minority, but I'm finding myself consistently disappointed by writing prompts I find on the internet. I understand that the main point of these niblets are to get our minds jogging and not to help us produce a 1,000 page Pulitzer Prize winning work of art. Nevertheless, I can't help but feel… Continue reading Strange Writing Prompts For Your Boring Monday
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?
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
When I was a child I daydreamed all the time about talking to my favorite writers. While I was toiling for hours over my own horrible manuscripts, I would wonder to myself what wisdom they would impart onto me if I ever mustered up the courage to write to them. Writers back then were these… Continue reading Social Media Killed My Curiosity About Authors
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
The Crooked Pen 