How to write action scenes that work
Action scenes should be the exciting bits. So why are they so often boring on the page? The problem is, and it's one I learned the hard way, that what works…
Posts tagged: craft
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Getting edited hurts, but do it anyway
I'm currently working with Jo Fletcher on my latest fantasy novel. Jo is a legend — one of the most respected editors in the genre, responsible for launching…
Pacing: when to speed up and when to slow down
Pacing is invisible when it's working. You only notice it when something feels wrong — the story dragging, or rushing past moments that should have weight.…
Want, wound, need
Every writing book talks about what your character wants. Fewer talk about why that want matters — or what's really driving it underneath. The…
Keep your world-building hidden
You've spent weeks on your world. The history, the politics, the trade routes, the calendar system, the seventeen noble houses and their complicated feuds. You…
Screenwriting isn't writing (but it is)
If you come to screenwriting from prose — novels, short stories — you'll need to unlearn almost everything. The skills that make you a good novelist can…
Finish the thing
Most people who start writing don't finish. It's not a lack of talent. It's not a lack of ideas. It's the sheer difficulty of pushing through when the initial…
Endings that satisfy (and how to write them)
The ending is the last thing readers experience. It colours everything that came before. A great ending elevates the whole book. A weak one can ruin it. So why…
Opening lines that grabbed us and wouldn't let go
A great opening line is a promise. It sets the tone, raises a question, creates a voice. It makes you need to read the next sentence. Here are some SFF openers…
Your villain is boring
Keeping the villain theme going, I find that the antagonist is often the weakest link in SFF stories. Writers lavish attention on their protagonist, craft…