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How to Write a Short Story (+ Free Worksheet to Get Started!)
Writing a short story sounds simple…until you’re 6,000 words deep with no ending in sight. Trust me, I’ve been there. And even though I have a few publications under my belt, I still struggle to write short stories. Or used to, before I got super focused on my manuscript and lost any interest in any other form of fiction writing. But recently (and that’s probably because I suck at writing romance anything), I’ve hit a wall with my manuscript. And it’s the summer, and it’s a slow time at the office, so I’ve been thinking about getting back into writing short stories again. So, in this blog, I’m going to…
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I Did Something Potentially Stupid…But Potentially Life-Changing
The title pretty much sums up what’s happening. I don’t know how often I mention it here; if I mention it here at all, but I took a two year break from my education during the pandemic. It’s never bothered me much (read: it bothers me a lot) and a university degree is just a degree, right? So, naturally, I threw myself into my career. Let’s be honest: payday is everyone’s favorite day of the month, right? I never really focused much on my education after I got into the work force. I mean, I do continuously take courses on LinkedIn and Coursera. In fact, my boss has even paid…
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On Writing Subtext: What It Is & Why It Matters in Storytelling
In case you missed it, I just wrapped up my June reading list, and a common denominator in the four great books I read this month was subtext. Seriously, when done right, subtext in writing can be an incredibly powerful tool to make your story seem more alive. If you have no idea what I’m talking about (and that’s totally fine), think of it this way. Have you ever read a story where characters feel very, very realistic? Where their true feelings and motivations just seemed to simmer beneath the surface? Well, that’s subtext. And if you use it correctly, it can do wonders. So, without wasting any time, let’s…
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Book Talk: What I Read in June
Yes, I know. I’m late for this one, effectively breaking my streak but I have good reason. If you’ve read my blog on morally grey characters, you’ll see some shots fired at a certain writer. What can I say? I’ve been trying to write this blog on what I read in June for a few weeks now, but A Simple Favour just makes me so angry. Like, really, really angry. And I’ve read bad books. I read Fifty Shades, and Twilight, and yet those books (and others: think that Mexican mafia and white supremacist romance I won’t dignify by name dropping) were comprehensible. The plot made sense. This book was…
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On Writing Morally Grey Characters (That Aren’t Just Your Typical Villains or Anti-Heroes)
For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been talking about writing anti-heroes and villains (if you haven’t checked those blogs out, I highly recommend it). So, this week I thought it would only make sense to talk a bit about morally grey characters. Characters who aren’t evil or rebellious on purpose—but still make you uneasy. Or at the very least, question if they’re making the right decision, or make you ask yourself: would I have done anything different? Think Victoria Neuman from The Boys, or Zuko during the Ba Sing Se arc in Avatar: The Last Airbender. We’re talking about characters who have the potential to be right, do the…