How to Create a Mysterious Atmosphere
Unless you use restraint with fantastical elements, you'll lose the aura of mystery.
Latest in Wordcraft
Episode 347: Narrative Premise
Telling a story is one thing, but how you tell it is another.
Which Descriptive Details Are Excessive to Readers?
Don't describe scenes as though you're taking a photograph.
How Can Writers Make Description Evocative?
The best description conveys the right tone, is easy to imagine, and makes the world feel alive.
Episode 339: Elements of Good Description
Hot take: words are made up, don't use them.
Five Simple Ways to Make Your Prose Easier to Read
What to do when your wordcraft is dooming your story's chances.
Episode 331: Flashbacks and Interludes
Nothing good happens in an interlude.
Narration Makeover: Giving Action More Immediacy
The last thing you want is prose that makes action feel like a slog.
Episode 325: Ending Lines
What is that last line even for?
Episode 324: Opening Lines
Due to the linear nature of spacetime, stories have to start somewhere.
How to Teach World Terms Without Confusing Readers
Confusing new terms can make readers feel jarred and overwhelmed.
Episode 316: Prescriptivism
The term “prescriptivism” gets thrown around a lot, but what does it really mean?
Episode 314: Levels of Editing
Most writers will seek out editing at some point, but what kind of editing should you get?
Episode 313: Cutting Clutter
Behold, an introduction, a beginning if you will, and we shall, heretofore, lay out the topic.
Episode 312: Bias Free Language
A phrase that sounds perfectly harmless to one person can be deeply unsettling to another.
Breaking Your Prose in the Right Places
Where we break our prose at any level affects how it feels.
Lessons From the Exposition of Crescent City
Confusing info dumps and lack of plot focus make this a disorienting opening.
Episode 288: Melodrama
Behold, a podcast with emotions so deep you can feel them in your bones!
Five Common Problems With Metaphors
Boring or inconsistent metaphors can drag your story to a halt.
Description Makeover: Creating Magical Atmosphere
It takes practice to figure out how to create a strong impression and make every word count.
Star of Hope