Category: writing tips
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Warning: No Info Dumping, Part 2
In my last blog entry, I talked about the dos and don’ts of info-dumping. Now, I’d like to offer some case studies of info-dumping in action. While these may exaggerate info-dumps in action, they can still cause the writer to ask herself, ‘Have I done this?’ Info-dumps mostly pop up in these areas of description…
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Warning: No Info Dumping, Part 1
Let’s talk about some do’s anLet’s talk about some do’s and don’t’s of info-dumping. I try to find ways to include how things work in my sci-fi and fantasy stories, but I’m not always sure I avoid info-dumping. I try to. But it’s an easy trap to fall into, especially as a speculative fiction writer.…
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Some books on writing craft
The following are two completely different books for the writer. One is about a structured process and the other is about organically discovering your creativity. We can benefit from both. Save the Cat Writes a Young Adult Novel by Jessica Brody I just finished Jessica Brody’s Save the Cat Writes a Young Adult Novel and…
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Friday’s Findings: Imposter Syndrome as a writer
Over the last few years, I’ve encountered the term imposter syndrome, and I’m like, “What is that?” Imposter syndrome is a thought pattern that reoccurs in someone’s mind and tells them they’re not good enough at what they do. For example: “I’m not a good teacher.” “I’m a terrible physician.” “I’m not as good a…
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Friday’s Findings: Five things I’ve learned in five years, part 2
A few weeks ago, I named five things I learned about the writing craft in the last five years, which are things about the actual writing process. As I came up with that list, I serendipitously came up with items that didn’t relate directly to the craft but to the writing life. These would be…
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Friday’s Findings: The Beginning
“Let the writing have its beginning — at the end.” -Edgar Allan Poe Friday’s Findings Photo by Balazs Kiss: https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-forest-4279380/
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Friday’s Findings: Five things I’ve learned in five years
In my post last Friday, I talked about writers should keep learning their craft. I thought about writing practices I had learned in the last five years. I took an inventory and came up with two lists: Today, I want to show you my writing craft tips. These are writing practices I’ve discovered in the…
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Friday’s Findings: Never stop learning
Never stop learning your craft. I’m a little surprised that some people I know who like to write aren’t interested in further training. I guess I understand. but I like taking online classes about writing fiction. I have to be careful, because I don’t want learning to replace actual writing. Writers can spend a little…
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Painting and words
“Paint. That’s the magic word. Paint pictures with words. That’s the greatest advice I can give anybody. Paint the pictures with words. The picture will appear in the imagination so the person reading it can say, ‘I can see that’.” -Brian Jacques Photo by Miguel Á. Padriñán: https://www.pexels.com/photo/several-paintbrushes-114123/
Andrew M. Friday 