Even outside of the time I spend with my fingers on the keyboard, I do a lot of thinking about my characters. I’ve become the stereotypical “head in the clouds” writer who might walk right into you at the grocery store because my mind is on my stories. And most of all, on the characters … Continue reading Fun ways to build characters
Tag: amwriting
A day in the life of an author
I've been a professional writer for about three years now. If you're curious what my typical workday looks like, I've done a guest post for Allie May at Hypergraphia. It contains, among other things, pictures of my cats, and a word I can't spell to save my life. Check it out here!
How to describe characters: The Name of the Wind
This post is the second in a series on writing effective character descriptions. In the first post, I studied a passage from Jim Butcher’s novel Storm Front. Today, I’ll be doing a careful reading of a character description from Patrick Rothfuss’s The Name of the Wind. This excerpt is from near the beginning, and describes the … Continue reading How to describe characters: The Name of the Wind
Rocky Mountain Blues
Today I'm being featured by Quill Writers, who have posted a little science fiction piece I've written. It's a glimpse into the sci-fi novel I've got in the works, which takes place in a futuristic Denver, Colorado. It goes a little something...like this: The street was both dingy and brilliant at once, the sprawl in the … Continue reading Rocky Mountain Blues
10 ways to break through writer’s block
I’m convinced every writer suffers from some amount of writer’s block now and again. A serious writer isn’t someone who never gets blocked, but rather someone who fights through it. If you’re feeling blocked, here are ten strategies I like to use to get the words flowing again. 1. Step back and read some or … Continue reading 10 ways to break through writer’s block
How to NaNo like a boss in 5 easy steps
NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month, and refers to a group of over 300,000 writers who engage in a yearly writing endeavor, the goal of which is to write 50,000 words in a month. Although the word count is the flashiest thing about NaNo, it’s really a way to celebrate stories and writing, and … Continue reading How to NaNo like a boss in 5 easy steps
on reading and writing
What’s in my pocket?
What’s in my pocket? Hint: It’s not the one ring. It’s actually a collection of writing resources I’ve found all over the internet and kept in my handy Pocket app. Pocket is a great app that saves online articles to read later, and you can get it for Chrome, iOS, and Android. Among the many … Continue reading What’s in my pocket?
Pros, cons, and tips for attending a small writer’s conference
A few years ago, I went to the 8th Annual National Latino Writers’ Conference, held at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque NM. It was a wonderful experience, and one I’d love to do again. It gave me an opportunity to meet other writers, celebrate my heritage, and learn about publishing. As far as … Continue reading Pros, cons, and tips for attending a small writer’s conference
How to critique a story (and get some eyes on yours)
There comes a moment in the creative process when one set of eyes isn’t enough, and you need to find someone to critique your work. At the same time, you’ll probably need to do some critiquing of your own, either to reciprocate or just to improve your own skills. Here are some tips on how … Continue reading How to critique a story (and get some eyes on yours)
Sarah Kay Moll 