Author: andrewmfriday
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Some books on writing craft
The Happy Writer by Marissa Meyer is a warm, encouraging guide that helps writers rediscover joy in the creative process by balancing productivity with self-compassion. Through practical advice and personal insights, Meyer reminds authors that success comes not just from word counts, but from cultivating happiness in their writing life. I’ve read two different fiction…
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Friday’s Findings: Your Novel’s Word Count Breakdown
Have you ever asked yourself, “Is my middle too saggy?” Of course, I’m talking about the first draft of your novel. I have several novels in the first draft stage, and I plan to revise them over the next couple of years, Lord willing. Here’s the thing: before I start rewriting them, I want to…
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Friday’s Findings: Tension
What is tension in fiction? It is the anticipation, the dread, of unknown events or other elements in a story that compel a reader to keep going. Ask this question for each of your characters: What are you afraid of losing the most? The answers should give you an ample supply of tension, conflict, and…
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My Favorite SF&F Shows, Part 9
The Addams Family and the Alien movies have both been around for decades. These days, these two franchises have offered up their latest 21st century versions on the screen, and here are my thoughts. Wednesday Available on Netflix In season 2 of Wednesday, Wednesday Addams uses her psychic abilities to solve the mystery of the…
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Friday’s Findings: Two Kinds of Writers
Friday’s Findings My Linktree Photo by Nicky Manosalva
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Friday’s Findings: Ways to Start a Writing Session
In my last blog posting, I talked about using copy work to get started for a writing session. The concept goes like this: for five minutes, copy word-for-word, a few paragraphs of your favorite author or novel. Then start your actual work-in-progress (WIP). It made me realize copy work is just one way to warm…
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Friday’s Findings: Starting a Writing Session
Use This Simple Technique to Get in the Mood for Your Writing Session A few years ago, I wrote about different ways to practice writing exercises. These exercises are designed to help improve my narrative style and writing craft, and they’re distinct from actually writing the story or scene I’m currently working on. Instead, these…
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Science Fiction & Fantasy I’ve Read Lately
Here are a couple of science fiction novels I’ve read lately, one recently released, and the other a classic released thirty years ago: The Hungry Gods by Adrian Tchaikovsky “The point of being a god is to have the joint running to your specifications.” – Guy Vesten, The Hungry Gods by Adrian Tchaikovsky Amri, a…
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Friday’s Findings: Audio Annotations
“The point of being a god is to have the joint running to your specifications.” -Guy Vesten, The Hungry Gods by Adrian Tchaikovsky This is just one of several quotes I got from the novella I listened to today, Tchaikovsky’s The Hungry Gods (THG). It wasn’t very long – only five hours – and I…
Andrew M. Friday 