Whether you call it plot armor or deus ex machina or crazy random happenstance, the result is the same: a character is saved from a tough spot thanks to an inexplicable and all-too-convenient coincidence.
Read moreOn My Nightstand: January 2019
As far as reading is concerned, the year is off to a great start. Here’s what I read to wrap up 2018 and kick off 2019.
Read moreReview: Blanca & Roja
In Blanca & Roja, Anna-Marie McLemore blends familiar fairytales The Swan Princess and Snow White and Rose Red into a rich, luxurious story of friendship, love and self-acceptance that is told with her signature style of magical realism.
Read moreReview: A Heart in a Body in the World
Equal parts heartbreaking and hopeful, Deb Caletti’s A Heart in a Body in the World reads like a battle cry for young women in the #MeToo era.
Read moreFilling Out Your Cast of Characters
Every member of your supporting cast brings a lifetime’s worth of experiences, values, quirks, and perspectives to the table, and the more you can honor that by fully developing every character, the richer your story will become.
Read moreTo Overcome Writer’s Block, Paint (or Draw or Sculpt or Sing) Instead
Maybe it’s about a new perspective or using a different part of your brain. Maybe it really is just about opening yourself up to play—after all, when we take our work too seriously, we can quickly give ourselves tunnel vision.
Read more10 Essential Elements of Gothic Literature
As we head into fall, there’s no better time to visit the Gothic genre.
Read moreThe Things We Carry: The Weight of Objects in Fiction
Are there any items in your fictional world that are so charged, so laden with meaning, that they’re impacting the environment and/or the characters’ behavior?
Read moreTo Make Conflict Sizzle, Shift Your Perspective
In fiction, our most riveting stories are built on conflicts where all parties are equally convicted of their own, opposing beliefs, and each party stands in the way of the others’ objectives.
Read moreNaNoWriMo 2018 Is Right Around the Corner!
50,000 words in a month is most definitely a daunting goal, whether you’re a NaNoWriMo newbie or a seasoned veteran. This year, I’m here to help!
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