We’ve all seen it – a strong voice has a character leaping off the page, and a weak one can make them disappear. The concept of character voice sounds simple; it’s how the characters speak, right? That’s accurate, to a point. The problem is when the voice ends with the dialogue. THERE’S MORE TO IT […]
Character Voice: It’s Not Just What They Say Read More »
Soren was only a boy when I met him, a boy lost in the Forest of Souls. Princess Savine had taken me there, her newest pikka, to remind me of what happened to handmaidens who displeased her. Her skin was as dusky and golden as the marigolds strewn across the royal table, for on these
The Tiger’s Handmaiden Read More »
My current mess started the day I opened my email to find an unusual subject line in one of the headers. Your Payment to Middle Earth Has Been Accepted. Brutus, my purebred Labradoodle mutt, lifted his head from where he’d set it on my knee, his golden ears twitching.
Your Payment to Middle Earth Has Been Accepted Read More »
I died on a Tuesday, which wasn’t nearly as inconvenient as dying again on Thursday. The first death was clinical—heart stopped for six minutes during a valve replacement. But death, like most bureaucracies, has loopholes. The surgeons pulled me back and sent me home with blood thinners and instructions to “take
The Second Death of Wallace Porter Read More »
When I’d started the hike, solitude had felt like a gift—space to breathe, to let the silence scour away the months of second-guessing and what-ifs. Time to decide what comes next. Now, as stingy sunlight bled away, unease pooled under my ribs, spreading with every breath. Massive storm clouds, bellies swollen
Writers generally detest absence. Thus, we rush to explain what we believe readers need to know. But what if we give our audience just the right information and trust them to infer meaning? Worldbuilding through subtext offers a solution for immersive storytelling without spoon-feeding readers. Let’s analyze the mechanics and explore why this approach is
Worldbuilding Through Subtext Read More »
We resist real-world conflict, with good reason: it’s distressing at least and harmful at most. Ironically, conflict is the author’s essential writing tool. Authors pull the pin and toss the conflict grenade into the middle of scenes; we can’t run from the blast or fallout. Yet, many stories lack conflict, hurting overall storytelling. Here, we
Conflict: The Author’s Essential Tool Read More »
Essay #3 of 3 Every writer knows the frustration of a great idea that fizzles out–stories stalling without clear progression, stakes, or emotional depth. However, with intentional structure and development, even the simplest concept can grow into something powerful. FROM CONCEPT TO CAPTIVATING NARRATIVE “Not Drowning but Waving” by Sam F. Hutchins, published on June
Avoiding Stories That Go Nowhere Read More »
Essay #2 of 3 Flash fiction isn’t just about brevity; it’s about delivering a complete, impactful experience in a small space. Many writers confuse slice-of-life vignettes with flash fiction, but the key difference lies in their intentional focus. While slice-of-life lingers on a moment or mood, flash fiction presents a narrative arc: a story that
The Art of Focus: Slice-of-Life V. Narrative Arc Read More »
Limited Series Part 2 I’m gathering dust at my usual booth, taking a break from the midnight bazaar after reuniting the kid with his parents. I contemplate how long I can keep doing this—saving folks—as I chow down on a combo of onion rings and a soggy mushroom Swiss when a kid bolts
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