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Since we’re lucky enough to have Ariel in the studio once again, we’ve decided to take a deep dive into common wordcraft mistakes. There’s no plot or character analysis here, just the words and punctuation on the page. Mostly, it’s how those words and punctuation … read more »
Gender is a complex thing, and writing a character whose gender is different than yours can seem a daunting task. This is especially true for writing a gender less privileged than yours. Don’t worry, we’re here with sage advice. This week, we discuss how to … read more »
It can be challenging to tell readers everything they need to know through a character’s point of view, so why not ditch that confinement and use a narrator who knows everything? That’s called omniscient narration, and it’s what we’re talking about today. Joined by returning … read more »
Most people enjoy music, but how should it be used in fiction? Is it okay for authors to put song lyrics directly in their prose, and if so, how much should they use? What about using songs as a plot device or just to set … read more »
Have you ever had a beta reader ask you a question about a scene you don’t remember having in your story, only to find out it was an artifact from a previous draft? Not only is that embarrassing, but it can also cost you time … read more »
A story’s environment is vitally important, but how do we describe it? Too little description and the reader feels like the story takes place in a blank white void. Too much description and the plot gets lost. Should you use unusual and distinctive words, or … read more »
Sometimes it feels like we’re up to our ears in dark and gritty reboots, but what about lighter stories? It turns out they’re not just for kids, and we’ve invited Ariel back to talk about them. We discuss why light stories can attract a wider … read more »
What’s in a name? If you’re telling a story, a lot. Special guest Ariel returns to talk with us about how to name characters and what mistakes to avoid. We discuss how descriptive a character’s name should be, the value of using mundane-sounding names, and … read more »
Sometimes a sentence is very long, and it keeps going and going with commas in places that a period could be and extra clauses that don’t necessarily need to be there. Other times a sentence is short. Which is better? As is so often the … read more »
Some writers start every sentence with “there are,” others can’t stop italicizing, and still others write sentences that never end. We’ve all got bad habits in our writing, and this week Ariel returns to discuss them with Chris and Wes. Our hosts are all editors, … read more »