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Isn't one of the non-Rowling definitions of "squib" "a firecracker which doesn't explode"? So Rowling took something which means "has potential or is expected to do something, and fails to deliver,...
Your story should be only as long as it needs to be, and not a word more. If your protagonist has a lot to accomplish, then sure, write more than one book. But for FSM's sake don't pad it thinking...
Yep, works for me. You're reproducing a speech pattern in which part of the word is emphasized.
I've been keyboarding for so many years that my handwriting has deteriorated past "chicken-scratch" into "hieroglyphics." If I write out a thank-you for a birthday gift, it's usually illegible by t...
No, actually, I think it's perfect. NaNoWriMo kills your excuses for Not Writing. You've done homework, you've done plotting, you've done character sketches, blah blah blah fishcakes, just start ...
Here's a set of guidelines I really like: You can refer to each character by the moniker most appropriate to him, so long as you use the same one consistently. Readers will happily accept any nam...
The method I'm familiar with is a writing bible - a document where you're constantly recording any new information you add to the world; any new detail you want to be committed to throughout the bo...
Far be it from me to let my fans down... ;) There is no one standard way. I have found that my old friend Scrivener is great for this. You start by gathering your information about your world (c...
I am a discovery writer. The main and broad definition is that a discovery writer does not outline stories beat by beat, or chapter by chapter, or even Act by Act. The reason for this, as I found ...
Misery. ETA Allow me to explain my facetiousness. Misery is a Stephen King story about Paul, a writer of a popular series set in Victorian times starring Misery Chastain. Paul finally gets tired o...
First off, unless "Mindblade" is a use-name he took or was given because he has some kind of esper abilities, give him a last name that doesn't sound like it was lifted from Shadowrun. Second, if ...
How much of this language are you going to use? Single words? Phrases? Sentences? Paragraphs? If it's just a few words or phrases, make up a few, be consistent in their usage, and call it a day. ...
The way to play this depends heavily on what you're trying to achieve with your antagonist's secret goal. The key concept here is that every major thread should have some set-up and introduction in...
If your plot is no longer interesting to you, let it go. It's the most extreme version of Kill Your Darlings. You haven't wasted the time you've spent. Consider it an exercise in plotting and dev...
It's possible that all may be lost; on the other hand, maybe not. Distinguish between losing interest in the project and merely losing interest in its current state. The latter is somewhat more sal...
My old friend Scrivener has a number of those features, although it's not freeware. But seriously, $45 is not expensive.
It's good that you're thinking about it, because men and women generally do have different voices, different concerns, and different ways of approaching the world and its problems. The key is whe...
If you are having a huge problem getting the stories on paper because juggling both at once is confusing, then yes. I would certainly outline them individually. I prefer to write linearly — in the...
If you're looking to sow a lot of suspicion, I think you should use single character POV (with a judicious number of scenes outside that POV if absolutely necessary). Harry Potter is a great exampl...
What Query Shark Says Let's take a look at what precisely QS has written there: This is a log line. Avoid them. Think about it: it [refers to: they must decide whether to resign their liv...
While I'm usually fanatic about number agreement (like not using "they" as a gender-netural third-person-singular pronoun in English), Example #1 actually doesn't bother me. I think it's because I'...
Books compiling previously-published articles are not new. The usual challenges there are selecting and organizing your material and editing it for a different audience. Compiling material that i...
The way a character thinks of a ship tells a lot about the relationship between the character and the ship. For example: Someone who thinks of the ship as an inanimate tool will naturally tend to...
Here are a few principles I think can help you in your present difficulty: Research is great as long as it isn't blocking you from writing. Assume your first draft and your final draft are going ...
I would suggest that the key question you should be asking yourself is whether you actually have a story to tell. The heart of any story is a decision. The protagonist (and possibly other character...
