Today's blog post is brought to you by The Pocket Watch, a group of amazing writers who get together to make fictional trouble. I'm lucky enough to be a card carrying member, and to have been invited to participate in the....First Ever Pocket Watch Blog Hop Character Spotlight! I'm really excited about this. My mission, … Continue reading Pocket Watch Blog Hop Character Spotlight
4 medical research resources for writers
As a mandate, "Do no harm" is all well and good for doctors, but as Kurt Vonnegut once said, writers must be sadists, tormenting our characters "so that the reader may see what they're made of." Whether you want to torment your characters with a disease, or inflict upon them a career in medicine, research … Continue reading 4 medical research resources for writers
Setting the stage: Tone and realism in fiction
One of the wonderful things about art is that it can take us anywhere. But when constructing a setting, particularly a real world setting, it's important to get a good sense of the tone and level of realism you want your work to have. If the setting isn't consistent, well researched, and appropriate for the … Continue reading Setting the stage: Tone and realism in fiction
The dilemma of research
When I do research I often find myself overwhelmed by the amount and scope of information out there. I could spend dozens of hours in libraries and on the internet pulling together facts about the topics in my novel. To preserve my writing time and my sanity, I have to remind myself not to get … Continue reading The dilemma of research
3 Little Known but Awesome Writing Apps
Most writers have essential apps like Evernote, Dropbox, and a dictionary loaded onto their devices. But when it comes to outlining, mind mapping, and editing, some great apps are often overlooked. Prezi, WorkFlowy, and NoteAnytime are some of the apps I use the most. 1. Outlining - Work Flowy My outlines absolutely have to be … Continue reading 3 Little Known but Awesome Writing Apps
10 Practical Writing Tips from the Greats
There's a lot of writing advice floating out around there, much of it to do with the philosophical approach to the craft, or the ever elusive formula for creativity. I've compiled here a list of very practical suggestions from Kurt Vonnegut, Neil Gaiman, Stephen King, and a few others. Some of this advice may seem … Continue reading 10 Practical Writing Tips from the Greats
The world upside down: Dean Koontz and stunning prose
"Through the stillness snow fell not in skeins but in infinitely layered arabesques, filigree in motion, ornamenting the city air, of an especially intense white in the dove-gray light of the morning, laying boas on the limbs of leafless trees, ermine collars on the tops of walls, a grace of softness in a hard world." … Continue reading The world upside down: Dean Koontz and stunning prose
Walk like a fox
For the first month or so of the million-word year, I crashed through the wordy underbrush. Drafts flew from my fingers and soon crumpled into virtual wastebaskets. Nothing was all that good, but I moved too quickly to see it. Amidst that frantic pace, I learned to fox-walk, something one of my characters can do … Continue reading Walk like a fox
The first of many words
I wrote a million words last year. I don't have brilliant and profound advice to give, on how I did it, or even if it's something worth trying to do. But I can tell you what it was like, the best year of my life. This is going to sound trite, but I got there … Continue reading The first of many words
Sarah Kay Moll 