Why your dialogue sounds fake (and how to fix it)
Dialogue is one of those things that feels like it should be easy. We all talk. We've been listening to conversations our entire life. How hard can it be to…
Posts tagged: craft
Clear filter ×Pantsing is just writing a very long, expensive outline
There's a long-running debate in writing circles between “plotters” and “pantsers.” Plotters outline their stories in advance. Pantsers fly by the seat…
The mistakes everyone makes in their first chapter
First chapters are hard. They're ones I always spend the most time worrying at. You're trying to do everything at once: establish character, set up the world,…
The three questions every scene must answer
David Mamet — playwright, screenwriter, and famously direct writing teacher — articulated three questions that I now use constantly. Whenever a scene isn't…
Tropes that need a long rest
Every genre has its clichés. Patterns that once felt fresh, got repeated, and are now so worn that readers groan when they see them coming. Here are some SFF…
Help me fund it
For some time now, I've had the domain name helpmefundit.com and never really did anything with it. When the domain renewal came around the other day, it got…
Rule of ten
When you're stuck, force yourself to generate ten ideas. Not three. Not five. Ten. The first few will be obvious — the same tired solutions everyone reaches…
Contraints create genius
Quentin Tarantino had $1.2 million to make Reservoir Dogs. No money for elaborate heists, car chases, or fancy locations. So he did what every good filmmaker…
Creative compound interest
Keep creating. Do something every day. Just one thing. It might take 2 minutes or 2 hours. The magic isn't in the individual sketch, paragraph, or chord…
Write through their eyes
When describing a scene, don't just paint what's there. Paint what your character sees through their emotional lens. The scared protagonist doesn't notice…