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Category: Writing

Guest Post: Unconventional Writing Tools

May 30, 2017January 16, 2021 Rand

4 Unconventional Tools to Fix Common Creative Writing Problems by Guest Blogger Ethan Miller Once upon a time, there lived a writer who churned bestsellers after bestsellers without breaking a sweat. Words flowed out of him with such ridiculous ease Read More …

Articles, Writing

The Importance of Death

May 16, 2016June 10, 2016 Rand

I watch a lot of SciFi (and when available, fantasy) on TV and in movies.  All too often, death means nothing.  A major character can be killed off and I just shrug, knowing they’ll be back, sometimes before the episode Read More …

Articles, Writing2 Comments

Author’s Shouldn’t Try to Be Funny in Their Bios

September 16, 2015June 10, 2016 Rand

There’s a lot of advice on how to write a professional author bio, and here’s mine: don’t try to be funny or clever.  It seldom works.  It can also make you look juvenile, narcissistic, and unprofessional.  Here are some examples of bad Read More …

Writing

Evaluating Artist Feedback, Part 2

July 9, 2015June 10, 2016 Rand

This is part two of the blog about evaluating feedback on your writing or other artistic pursuits. Read part 1 here. Biased Feedback A person giving negative feedback can be biased in some way. We can sometimes tell from their Read More …

Articles, Writing

Evaluating Artist Feedback, Part 1

July 9, 2015June 10, 2016 Rand

Whether a musician, author, or other artist, we’ve all received feedback on our work.  Obtaining meaningful feedback is an art all its own.  Sometimes we have to work at it, deciphering comments to figure out what someone means, so I’ve Read More …

Articles, Writing6 Comments

How Agents and Publishers Think About Manuscripts

May 21, 2015June 10, 2016 Rand

Like most authors, I’ve submitted books to agents and either gotten no response or the form rejection letter. Well, let me be specific – I’ve sent a query letter, one page summary, and anywhere from 5 pages to 3 chapters Read More …

Articles, Writingauthor, Book, literary agent, publish, Query letter, Self Publish, traditional publisher17 Comments

Writers Block vs. Idea Block

May 1, 2015June 10, 2016 Rand

Most authors have “writer’s block” at some point, but I suspect we’re often suffering from something I call “idea block”.  The definition of writer’s block is “the condition of being unable to think of what to write or how to Read More …

Articles, Writingauthor, fantasy, Fiction, writing, writing fiction2 Comments

Getting My Book In Book Stores

May 1, 2015June 10, 2016 Rand

When I decided to start self-publishing, people began asking me if I can get my book in stores, to which I’ve said no, not really. They almost always ask in amazement, “Don’t you want to see your novel in book Read More …

Articles, Writingauthors, Books, Bookselling, Publishing, self publishing a book11 Comments

How To Create Fictional Characters, Part 3

February 21, 2015June 23, 2015 Rand

If you’re creating a character for fantasy or another genre where they go adventuring, this part of the template may help you.  You can download the full template as a Word doc or a PDF or read Part 1 and Read More …

Articles, Writingcharacter, Magic (paranormal), writing fiction

How To Create Fictional Characters, Part 2

February 21, 2015June 10, 2016 Rand

This is the second in a series on creating fictional characters.  Part 1 covered an overview. You can download the full template as a Word doc or a PDF. Personal Life General History Family & Upbringing This includes place of Read More …

Articles, WritingFiction, writing

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