This seems to be the question of the week. At my writing group last Thursday we had a discussion of them, and just last night my husband asked me about them as well, though I’m not sure why. So here
Writing About a Place You’ve Never Been
I’m working on getting a novel ready for publication later this year, and part of it takes place in Greece. I have never been to Greece. I am extremely unlikely to get to Greece between now and when the book
Choosing Beta Readers
(Psst. If you haven’t voted in Tuesday’s poll, please do!) One of the greatest tools in a writer’s toolbox is the beta reader. I can’t be sure, but I imagine that they’re called beta readers much for the same reason
The Rhythm of Words
A lot of writers, when they write, just write. That’s all that’s truly important at the beginning, getting the words out onto paper. But the flow of your words and sentences is actually a tool that can be used to
Magic Doesn’t Solve Everything
Despite being one of my very favorite sayings (“Why does blah blah blah?” “Magic.”), magic must, unfortunately, make sense. This means if you are creating a world where magic exists, there has to be rules, and the rules must be
An Endless Font of Inspiration
I think, Squiders, that all creative types, especially writers, sometimes hit a point where they worry that they’ve run out of ideas. That they’ve reached the end of useable ones. That their best work is behind them. (I admit that
Things Sure Do Go Around the Internet
I can see why creative peoples get a bit nervous about the internet. There’s really nothing to stop someone else from taking what you’ve created–if you’re lucky, it will at least circulate with your name attached to it. It is
The Evolution of an Idea
Anthologies are always interesting. First you’ve got to come up with a theme for the overall anthology, and then you’ve got to come up with a story that fits for it. When we started brainstorming for Seasons Eternal, we had
Warning: Duotrope Going Subscription
A few times over the years I’ve mentioned Duotrope as a good resource for those of us who write and submit short stories as they list markets and allow you to keep track of who you’ve submitted to, and what
Of Sulking Alpacas and Scones
Landsquid left his house through the front door, carrying a basket of freshly made chocolate chip scones (which are the best kind) over one tentacle. He steeled himself, then quickly hurried down his front walkway, around the fence, and up
