Follow Us
Get Our Email Newsletter
We'll send our best work every month.
Magic School
How Do I Write Shy Characters Without Slowing Down the Story?
I’ve noticed in fiction that shy characters tend to be written badly and much differently from how they are in real life. Many shy characters are passive in plots because they lack the enthusiasm and drive that extroverted characters have. They tend to be slow … read more »
276 – Internal Narration
Character thoughts, huh, what are they good for? A whole lot, it turns out. But they can also be used poorly, and then they’re worth absolutely nothing. This week, we do a deep dive on how to narrate what’s going on inside the protagonist’s head. … read more »
Building The Expanse: How Corey Melds Conflict and Tech
Most of us are familiar with the enormous complexity of fantasy worldbuilding, but there’s another beast that’s just as difficult: science fiction worldbuilding. In addition to dealing with advanced technology, scifi writers have to consider the nearly infinite number of ways that human culture might … read more »
How to Plot a Novel Series
Over the years, we’ve received many questions about how to plot multiple books. The answer is surprisingly simple: story structure is the same no matter the scale. However, reader expectations about story continuity do change a little when the story is broken into different books, … read more »
True Love
When it’s perfect but you have 50k words left. Read more »
How Can I Respectfully Subvert the Magical Cure Trope?
I had a question about the Magical Cure trope. My main character (14yo girl) lost her left arm about six months before the novel begins. Then, at summer camp, she’s chosen to participate in a secret magical contest between the fairy courts. She makes a … read more »
275 – Star Trek: Picard
What’s that, someone did a new Star Trek show and we don’t have an episode about it? This shall not stand! Today we’re talking about Picard, the whole Picard, and nothing but Picard. We discuss how this show measures up to previous Trek offerings, where … read more »
Seven Musts for Dominating a Fantasy Battle
Everyone is always asking me questions about fantasy battles, like I’m some kind of spec fic blogger. So, to answer every question in perpetuity, I’ve put together the only list that you’ll ever need on the subject. It tells you exactly what to do, whether … read more »
No, “Art” Doesn’t Entitle You to Spread Harmful Messages
American Dirt is the latest example of a big name work coming under fire for exploiting and appropriating the cultures it features. However, it’s not the first, and it won’t be the last. Each time, white storytellers are told that we need to stop using … read more »