The Ten Year Novel
This blog post accompanies our podcast episode, The Ten Year Novel. The ten year novel. That book that you can’t finish; the one that’s haunted you for years and years. It might be your first, it might be your fifteenth, but we’ve all experienced the pull of a story we can’t quite finish.
The Real-World Impact of Character Names
“What’s in a name?” Roses, sweet smells, yada yada— but really, how do you decide what to name your characters? Maybe you’re one of those authors whose characters spring forth fully formed from your head, à la Zeus. (Are you there, dad? It’s me, Athena.) Maybe you love names, scouring baby books for meaningful names; and maybe you hate naming your characters.
Microaggressions & Names: The Importance of Pronouncing Names Correctly
Is your name easy to spell? Easy to pronounce? Here’s how to tell: go to a coffee shop. Tell them your name, and watch for that tiny flicker in the barista’s eye. Erin’s writing this one, and guess what? The worst I’ve ever gotten was Aaron.
Embrace the Quack: Using A Rubber Duck to Unstick Your Writing
We’ve all been there—staring at a blank page, fingers poised over the keyboard, that cursor blinking on an empty page like Sauron’s eye. Okay, maybe that’s a bit over-the-top, but talk to any reader you know who has stared at a blank page for hours, and you’d be surprised how many of them would agree!
In Defense of Bad Book Beginnings
We all know the trope: Jessica woke up to her alarm clock. She stood in front of her full-length mirror in her bedroom and noted her icy blue eyes. Her luxurious chestnut hair glistened in the morning light. And on and on and on. It’s a faux pas at this point to start your story with the character looking in the mirror; some editors even say that it’s a red flag for a beginning writer.
Explore Topics
Editor Spotlights
Popular Tags