Monthly Archives: September 2017

Too many writers rely upon misunderstandings and past baggage to keep their (seemingly perfect) characters from their (possibly undeserved) happiness. A character with a physical flaw can be far more interesting, if handled properly. The illiterate man who is trying … Continue reading →

I was reading a thriller from the late 90s (name of novel withheld to spare the author). The villain of the story had two children, a daughter of 13 and a son of about 10. The son, Ringo, is mentioned … Continue reading →

MY ONE TRUE LOVE WE ALL KNOW OUR DAYS ON THIS EARTH ARE NUMBERED. But few of us our fortunate (or unfortunate) enough to know the day and hour of our deaths in an advance. One weekend in early September … Continue reading →

If you aren’t familiar with Craig’s Wife, a 1925 play by George Kelly, then stop reading this post and check it out. Otherwise, read on. Craig’s Wife is a wonderful example of what an author can do with a short … Continue reading →

In a perfect world, your story will take place over a very short span of time. The reason being, the faster things happen, the more exciting the narrative will be. This is why shows like 24 work so well. The … Continue reading →

What is the most boring topic in the world? Weather. Politics. Traffic. Actually, no. It’s YOU. You are the most boring topic to others. Don’t bore the readers of your blog (or any other piece of writing) by trying to … Continue reading →