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Writer's Block—Myths & Realities
November 08, 2022
Good things take time. And writing, like any craft, involves an apprenticeship period. It’s not a block. It’s a learning curve. Embrace the mess.
- On the craft
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- 1 comment
Setup Is Not Stasis: How to Write a Gripping First Chapter
October 12, 2022
Context plays an important role in fiction and narrative nonfiction. It adds depth to the characters, the setting, and the conflict. Context is also your best tool for creating in readers a sense of participation. The trick lies in subtlety.
- On querying
- On the craft
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Five Mistakes to Avoid When Writing Dialogue
September 28, 2022
A sign of well-written dialogue is when you’re reading it without making any active effort to understand who’s speaking or what their mood is like.
- On the craft
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- 1 comment
Should you pay for beta readers?
July 10, 2022
Readers are diverse; they each bring their own expectations and preferences to any story they read. As such, it's best to get a wide range of opinions about your narrative.
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- 1 comment
How to self-edit your novel like a pro
July 06, 2022
The author’s first job, whether they are writing fiction or narrative nonfiction, is to transport readers into their characters’ world.
- On the craft
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Resource Review: George Saunders' Story Club Substack
May 06, 2022
Comments are supportive and personable and warm; it truly does feel as though we’re all in a giant MFA cohort together, and remarkably, I often fall into thinking Saunders is speaking directly to me.
- On the craft
- Resource review
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- 2 comments
Five Things to Do in Preparation for Working with an Editor
April 26, 2022
Getting your book professionally edited is crucial if you want to be able to compete with other titles in the market, but it can also be daunting when you’re doing it for the first time.
- On the craft
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Showing IS Telling, but with Style
February 07, 2022
We’ve all read novels that swallow us whole. Hours pass, and we suddenly realize it’s lunchtime and we still haven’t showered.
- On the craft
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The Devil's in the Details
January 17, 2022
Writing description is like wielding a zoom lens. You, the author, need to decide what’s worth zooming in on and what can be left to blend into the background.
- On the craft
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Write What You Know—And What You Don't
December 18, 2021
Yes, we’re creators, storytellers, fabricators extraordinaire, and hopefully, empaths, but we’re not body snatchers—or soul snatchers for that matter.
- On the craft
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Slushpile Standouts: episode five
November 24, 2021
What snags and red flags will land your work in the bin rather than on the shortlist?
- On the craft
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Pen Names: The Why, Who, and How
June 17, 2021
First, Google yourself. If anyone even semi-famous is already dominating the search results, you may want to consider a pen name.
- On querying
- On the craft
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