When it comes to such high-minded aspirations as becoming a writer, a painter, a performer, people rarely stop to ask themselves this simple question: “What’s in it for me?” It sounds like something you’d hear from a small-time crook, or maybe a dodgy antique dealer,...
Today’s guest post comes from my good friend, Nils Ödlund. The worst thing I know is when an author is wrong about how their characters look. No, you read that right. I'm a visual reader, and when I read a description, it creates a picture in my mind. It goes for...
Today’s question (and the source material) comes from Sharmila. Dialogue. Everyone talks about how to make it interesting, but give examples. Lots of them. Okay, so not the easiest of questions. Whole books have been written in an attempt to answer it. But it’s...
Quick update. I’ll be in San Francisco for the next two weeks. If you like, we can grab a beer or something (I’d love that if you’re in the area!). But other than that I’ll be mostly out of reach. I’ll reply to all questions, comments, and emails, and also resume...
Writing gets easier over time when you stop giving so many damns about the things your readers don’t give a damn about either, like character appearance. Forget about weight, height, the color of the eyes, or some family ties. In the Harry Potter books, Hermione had...
