Writing Advice 9/9

Oct 7, 2008

Top Ten Fiction Tips

I was surprised to find a list of my top ten fiction tips in an interview from seven years ago. Surprised, because, my list is now...

Aug 29, 2008

Pacing in Fiction

I’ve been thinking about pacing, and what a judgment call this aspect of fiction requires. Repetitive and unnecessary words, paragraphs,...

Aug 16, 2008

Swimming in words

I’ve been reflecting on Denvention and feeling weird about the Hugos, as I seem to every year. This competition and the general race to...

Aug 6, 2008

The Genres

In my recent e-newsletter on writing, I talked about fiction categories, or genres, and why writers need to be familiar with them. (You...

Jun 5, 2008

Thoughts on Story Theme

Theme is a loaded word. It conjures up middle school English classes where you have to cough up what the writer was trying to say in...

Feb 14, 2008

Writing contests

In front of me is a stack of writing contest entries. I look at this pile of letters and emails and feel a jolt of nostalgia. My career...

Dec 13, 2007

Writing in Series

As I’m finishing up Book 3 in my series, I’m noting how increasingly hard it is to keep track of things. Things it never occurred to me...

Oct 25, 2007

Getting Fiction Feedback

Here’s a question I’ve been getting from my fiction newsletter readers, and since it’s awhile before the newsletter goes out again, I...

Jul 22, 2007

Readercon Riff #2

Belatedly, more on Readercon: From my workshop on scene building and story boarding: In response to a blog or two I’ve seen on my...

May 21, 2007

How to do a book tour

1. Find a slew of cool independent bookstores in what looks like a doable territory. Send them a glowing report on your new book....

Dec 28, 2006

Lost in the Novel

Quick, somebody help me. I have to give a talk next Tuesday on THE NOVEL. Actually, I got myself into this fix, because the library here...