Recent Articles
Finisterre
I see her again just outside of Pamplona. She walks on the shoulder of the road. Her stride meanders, wobbly and goofy looking, the toes of her boots scratching the back of her calves leaving dusty streaks. She’s maybe a hundred yards in front of me. Besides us, the road is empty and straight forwards … Continue reading Finisterre
5 Easy Steps to Make a Character Arc
Character arcs are the bread and butter of storytelling. Many people argue that there is no such thing as “plot”, there is just a character undergoing change as they interact with their surroundings. I often find it helpful to think of a story as just a series of choices made by a flawed character. So … Continue reading 5 Easy Steps to Make a Character Arc
6 Ways To Immediately Improve Your Dialogue
Dialogue is one of the trickiest things to get right. But, when done well, it can carry an entire book on its back. Dialogue that flows, that sounds like the characters, that means something. A reader is willing to read almost anything so long as the dialogue is good. Here are six ways to immediately … Continue reading 6 Ways To Immediately Improve Your Dialogue
Gideon the Ninth: The Best Fantasy Book of 2019
Lesbian sci-fi space necromancers in an Agatha Christie style murder mystery. That’s the premise of Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir. And, honestly, if you’re not already sold, I don’t think we can be friends. In all seriousness, though, this is one of the best fantasy books to come out in the last few years. … Continue reading Gideon the Ninth: The Best Fantasy Book of 2019
The Weight of the Seagull
Jake leaves the house and goes down to the rocks next to the sea and takes a cigarette from his pocket but the lighter won’t light because of the wind, even though he shields it with his hand and shakes it. He puts the cigarette and the lighter away. Scratches his head. The rocks are … Continue reading The Weight of the Seagull
How Bad Are Adverbs, Really?
Don’t use adverbs. Don’t use adverbs. I have heard this advice from a hundred sources a hundred times. It seems to be the one thing that style guides and literary critics can all agree on. Adverbs bad. But how useful is this advice? Is there a way that, actually, adverbs good? An adverb often serves … Continue reading How Bad Are Adverbs, Really?
Trail’s End
The car skips and bounces down the road. Gravel kicks up in streaks of dust behind the wheels. I look out the window and lean my head against the glass. “Well?” Amy asks. She’s driving. I’m in the backseat, stretched out, my legs pressing against one window and my head against the other. I look … Continue reading Trail’s End
Avatar: The Last Airbender is Storytelling Perfection
It is rare for a show to grip me so fully as Avatar: The Last Airbender, by Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. I rewatched it last week. I went through the entire sixty episode show in five days. I practically breathed Avatar, I was so invested. Avatar tells the story of the titular Avatar, a … Continue reading Avatar: The Last Airbender is Storytelling Perfection
How to Create a Fantasy World
Creating a fantasy world is a unique pleasure. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve survived a tedious lecture by drawing maps in the margins of my notes. There’s something invigorating and refreshing about conjuring an unfamiliar landscape in your mind and walking down its twisting passes. I’d wager us writers are never … Continue reading How to Create a Fantasy World
To The Words On The Tips Of Our Tongues
The box rested in Emily’s hand. Mud speckled her arms and her face and snarled her hair. I’ll never forget the look in her eyes as she examined it, how intensely her gaze scoured the surface as though its contents could save her. Porter leaned against a nearby tree – and this too I remember … Continue reading To The Words On The Tips Of Our Tongues
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