On my last trip, I did something unthinkable. I didn’t take any books. Print books, that is. I did have a number of ebooks on my tablet, including two that I acquired especially to read on this trip. One I borrowed from the library’s ebook catalog; the other I purchased. My conversion to ebooks has…
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“The Silver Moment”
It’s a term I made up to describe a twist in fiction that can make the “black moment” more shocking to a reader. The black moment is a part of the basic structure of fiction that has been knocking around for centuries. The inciting incident. The mounting tension. Complications. Climax. The black moment. Denouement. There…
IT’S BACK
I knew the second revision letter on RED SKY would arrive at some point, but I didn’t expect it the day before Thanksgiving with a December 5th deadline for turning it around. I’m thankful I have a contract. I read the email, but I haven’t opened the document yet. This weekend was earmarked for family…
The Myth of Talent
A couple of months ago on the old RMFW blog, I talked about the Myth of Craft. The Myth of Craft promises us that if you learn how to write the perfect book, you will get money, fame, and your own purse dog. I don’t buy The Myth of Craft like I don’t buy The…
Lazy Writer’s Syndrome
Strategies to keep your story hot and productive There’s nothing worse than Lazy Writer’s Syndrome. There are no symptoms in its early stages. It only becomes apparent when we look up from our busy lives and realize we haven’t been writing for—oh, ten days, ten weeks–ten months. We have an ongoing accountability system in my critique group….