As poetry gains a little traction with writers like Rupi Kaur, the market is starting to demand more poetry books that capture the voices of now. In spite of the number of publishers who are accepting poetry manuscripts though, there is very little information out there for how to write a poetry book. Are you […]
3 Things to Do While Your First Draft “Breathes”
You did a thing. Yeah, a THING! A BOOK! You WROTE one! And, it’s going to get published–traditionally or independently–doesn’t matter; it’s going to happen! Get excited. I’ll wait. Once you’ve caught your breath, we gotta start thinking about what your next step is. You probably thought writing the book was hard, but I promise […]
7 Realities When Developing Characters
Just like genres, there are things we take for granted when developing stories. It’s probably that modern-day mentality—even more so if you’re American. We assume that when we write a story, the literary elements just happen, fleshing out more and more as we revise. Well, yeah. Practice makes perfect. Oh. Honey. You still believe that […]
Better Storytelling: Character Actions
Actions include the character’s physical doings, as well as his/her state of being and decisions (s)he makes. Obviously. Y’know what? Developing the RIGHT actions and not rambling is harder than you think. Just like that move you made there wasn’t the best to show us what kind of person you are. 😤 In The Hunger […]
Better Storytelling: Conflicting Desires
Your characters superficial, immediate, and long-term wants and goals are just like anyone else’s desires. Love, happiness, riches, fame, all the other cliches. Are you suggesting humans are superficial and flat like characters? Suggesting? No, I’ll tell you straight out: humans are superficial and flat like characters. But, that’s a different kind of discussion. Just […]