Category: fiction writing

  • Friday’s Findings: Wildcat

    Friday’s Findings: Wildcat

    I recently saw the movie Wildcat, which was directed by Ethan Hawke. Wildcat told the story of Flannery O’Connor who navigated her writing career as she dealt with lupus. I could identify with O’Connor who had to endure the obstacle of her stories being misinterpreted. Everyone wants a story to be pretty. O’Connor wrote dark…

  • The Intimidating Draft

    The Intimidating Draft

    “Drafts. Nothing is more intimidating than a blank page. Writing in drafts helps to diffuse some of that pressure. My rough draft has one goal; to write “The End.” I have the next 200-300 drafts to make it good.” -Max Brooks Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko: https://www.pexels.com/photo/white-and-gray-checkered-textile-6474345/ My Linktree

  • Friday’s Findings: A Dollop of Delusion

    Friday’s Findings: A Dollop of Delusion

    “Your first book is brutal, and for that reason I really think it has to be a labor of love. Only love and a dollop of delusional hope will get you through that misery. Let the cynicism come later.” –Sunyi Dean, author of The Book Eaters Friday’s Findings: Photo by NEOSiAM 2024+: https://www.pexels.com/photo/tilt-lens-photography-of-white-flowers-673535/ My Linktree

  • Friday’s Findings: The Recipe for Interiority

    Friday’s Findings: The Recipe for Interiority

    There’s this new term I’ve come across in the fiction craft world: interiority. I had never heard of it until last year when I took Mary Kole’s online class called Crafting Dynamic Characters. Great class. As far as using it as a writing craft term, I don’t know who coined interiority, but Kole built her…

  • Writing Garbage

    Writing Garbage

    “When you’re stuck, and sure you’ve written absolute garbage, force yourself to finish and THEN decide to fix or scrap it – or you will never know if you can.” – Jodi Picoult Photo by Anna Shvets: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-in-white-and-green-shirt-holding-yellow-plastic-bag-3746342/ My Linktree

  • Friday’s Findings: The Moon Is Shining

    Friday’s Findings: The Moon Is Shining

    “Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.” -Anton Chekhov Friday’s Findings: Photo by Martin Schneider: https://www.pexels.com/photo/moon-shining-through-silhouette-of-trees-11597986/ My Linktree

  • Some Books on Writing Craft

    Some Books on Writing Craft

    A book on fiction writing is ideal because you’re getting a course in writing at your fingertips. You can read or listen to the book at your own convenience. And best of all, you don’t have to take a final. Unless finishing your story is the final. Anyway, here are some books on the writing…

  • Friday’s Findings: The Exact Detail

    Friday’s Findings: The Exact Detail

    “In all genres, I wait in ambush for the exact, perfect, telling detail, the thing that makes the scene or line come alive.” —Lauren Groff Friday’s Findings: Photo by veeterzy: https://www.pexels.com/photo/road-between-pine-trees-39811/ My Linktree

  • No Filter Words: An Easy Way to Improve Your Writing

    No Filter Words: An Easy Way to Improve Your Writing

    I am always looking for quick and easy ways to improve my writing. I know there are plenty of long and hard ways: years of practice; studying writing of established authors; hours of self-editing and so much more. So, let’s talk about a relatively quick way to give your writing more punch: Get rid of…