Let’s talk a bit about immersion. In your story, the purpose of immersion is to give your readers a feel for what’s actually going on, regardless of whether words are spoken. There are two schools of thought on what immersion actually …

Ready, Fire, Aim!         A boon (first time I’ve used that word) to new writers, those without a quality writing partner or two, is the Critique Circle, a rough and ready proving ground for works in pr…

          Golfers avoid saying “shank”. During a no-hitter, the team whose pitcher is flirting with history refuses to acknowledge what is happening. And among writers, people who will often talk about anyth…

            I can hear one of you saying: “But there are more than five science fiction books worth reading twice!” I understand that, Reader Who States the Obvious to Irk Me Into Wh…

A lot of ideas for writers come from the unconscious. Ideas will oftimes surface as passing thoughts, unbidden and unexpected. While focusing on one endeavor, a thought will pop into your mind that is totally and abruptly out of place, intriguing a…

I picked it up because the paperback had a bright red cover with a dragon on it. It was right next to A Game of Thrones in that oft-visited corner bookstore on a sunny day in 1992. The title of the book was Chung Kuo: The Middle Kingdom, by David Wi…

I have only met a few really evil people in my life. One of them was a superior at a Fortune 500 company… a VP who was ruthless and cutthroat. He lied to people, He managed to set up and blame others for his mistakes, sabotaged competing …

A Writer’s Inner Dialogue That is the third cliché this page. Are you really a writer? “Shut up.” You call that characterization? You’re making that guy as flat as the paper you will ruin printing this out. “…

A lot of people have problems with audiobooks. Many have grown up in a world of videos and podcasts and have never really developed a passion for reading. Some read too slow, some have difficulties reading for long lengths of time. They like the id…

I’ve seen too many times the erroneous command to find your writing style as if it were a misplaced twenty or a lost puppy. You don’t find your writing style; you create it. The first tip is to HAVE a writing style. Here we should prob…