Fiction

Coping with Negative Reviews

If you’re a writer, self-published or otherwise, sooner or later you will receive your very first negative review (*sigh* It’s a right of passage, all right!) You shouldn’t worry about it, or be discouraged by it, because no matter how great your novel is, it won’t be right for everyone. No novel is.

But it still hurts. It’s still painful to see that someone disliked, maybe even hated, this thing you spent such a long time perfecting! It’s inevitable and you need to accept that, but how do you prepare yourself?

Take a look at this...

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Masterful Writing Advice from Stephen King (Infographic)

There is a lot of writing advice in the world. Sometimes it’s difficult to figure out who to listen to and who to ignore. I can say with absolute certainty that On Writing by Stephen King is full of advice to take to heart. This book is always on my packing list. I can’t say for sure where my toothbrush is, but my copy of On Writing is on the top shelf of my bedroom bookcase, fourth book from the left.

If you haven’t read it, check out this infographic by Marko Saric. And then buy, steal, or borrow a copy because, honestly, this is a must-read for anyone who wants to write. ...

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Tips on Writing Better Villains (Video)

Your hero is well-developed and believable. You know him or her inside and out, have created character profiles and conducted interviews, have written and rewritten the perfect backstory until your hero’s author headcanon is as long as the manuscript itself.

So why would you settle for a bland, cookie-cutter villain? A strong, believable villain is crucial, and in her YouTube video, Shade gives fantastic tips for fleshing out your villain and making him or her a true antagonist, in the best sense. ...

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The Two Worst Things to Do in a Fiction Story

Today we have for you the second Runner Up winner in our 2016 Writing Contest. Stay tuned for next week's final award-winning piece, our Editor's Pick.

The Two Worst Things to Do in a Fiction Story

Writer rules are everywhere—coming out of the woodwork—sometimes making me paranoid enough to think they're just invented so I can't make it as a writer ("make it": being paid well for your writing so you can live comfortably). Yet, when I think about it, I know that isn't true. Like the charge that a writer can't put an object in a story if it doesn't mean something later, these rules are created to help us write better tales.

I'm going to talk about two rule-breakers I've heard will get you an instant rejection. ...

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How important are deadlines? Ask George R.R. Martin, author of the books behind HBO’s ‘Game Of Thrones’

If you are the type who likes to read the book before it becomes a motion picture, there is one famous author right now who just broke your cardinal rule: He won’t finish his new A Song of Ice and Fire book before Game of Thrones airs its next season—just as readers have long feared. (The Atlantic)

George R.R. Martin, author of the A Song of Fire and Ice series, which inspires the hit HBO TV show Game of Thrones, just announced the sixth installment in his fantasy series will not be finished before its on-air version plays on HBO.

This from Yahoo TV ...

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20 questions and a selfie: A day in the life of fantasy writer and author by proxy Sahara Foley

For this installment of “20 Questions and a Selfie,” we catch up with fantasy writer and author by proxy Sahara …

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