While creating interesting, captivating, memorable characters, It’s really tempting to give them accents or dialects. However, when this is good, it is really, really good, and when it is bad, it is horrid. Here are some considerations and tips for how to create a...
Badlands National Park
By Karin Cather
A Possible Cure for Writer’s Block
Do you have writer’s block? There are many potential reasons for that, but here’s a big one: you’re trying to force your characters to do things they otherwise wouldn’t do. As a result, the characters are refusing to cooperate. Naturally, under those circumstances,...
Will AI Replace Human Writers?
Well, people are certainly trying. Some people don’t want to do the hard work of creating, and other people don’t want to pay a human being if they can give a prompt to a glorified calculator.
How to Write a Fight Scene – Part 1: Gunfights and Knife Fights
Today we’re going to talk about how to write a fight scene, specifically gunfight and knife-fight scenes. Written well, fight scenes provide action; grip the reader; contribute to atmosphere and mood; and show the reader the strength and conscience of the protagonist,...
How to Write a Fight Scene Part 2: Hand-to-Hand Combat
There are several ways to write a fight scene badly. I’ll show you how to write a fight scene well.
Watch Your Language
Given the social upheaval ahead, we women shouldn’t be afraid to use the strongest language that we possibly can, even if that language has been traditionally denied to women. Because in the right settings, strong language is credible language.
The Singular They: A Prescriptivist’s Dream
When someone drives on a highway, they shouldn't camp out in the left lane. They? Yes, they. Because it's the correct singular pronoun to use when you don't know the gender of the person you're talking about or when you could be talking about any of them. Usage of the...
Preventing Conflict: The Ins and Outs of an Editing Contract
Disclaimer First of all, nothing I’m about to tell you is legal advice. You should always consult an attorney because rules vary by jurisdiction. I’m speaking here as an editor about my own practice and about the kinds of pitfalls that arise when there isn’t a service...