Shannon Lawrence & Deconstructing Horror What makes a story qualify as horror? If you ask Shannon Lawrence that basic question, be prepared for some thoughtful analysis. The genre, she will tell you, extends beyond jump scares and slashers. Shannon recaps the recent free workshop she gave for Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers in Denver and explores…
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Writing Black Characters Dealing with the Culture of Poverty
Last year at the Colorado Gold Conference I taught a class entitled Writing Authentic African-American Characters. A lot of that discussion had to deal with the culture of poverty within the Black community. Today, I want to talk to you about specific things your African-American characters can struggle with because of the culture of poverty….
Novels Are Like Onions
When I started writing, my biggest hang-up was the misguided notion of Writer with a capital W. If I’m a real Writer, I thought, I should be able to sit down whenever I feel like it and write something good—nay, groundbreaking! If I’m a real Writer, the words should magically pour forth from my sweat…
Invest in your Writing Career
If you didn’t attend the 2017 Annual Education Event last month in Golden, take a moment to kick yourself. Really. The event was nearly sold out, and if not for a last minute storm that came through it would have been a tight fit to get everyone in, and for good reason. With a morning…
When Motivation to Write is Gone
We’ve all been there. Or maybe we’re there right now? In this collective, yet solitary brain-trust known as writing. This hive-mind of almost universally shared desire. It’s what we do. Why? Because we have stories to tell. So we spit them out of our heads and onto paper (never mind the mess). But what do…