Back in English 318 at BYU, Brandon Sanderson used to tell us that there was a big difference between “little-p plot” and “big-p Plot.” The first applies mostly to chapters and scenes, which he said he could teach us. The second refers to the overall story structure, which he couldn’t teach in a classroom setting… Continue reading plot vs. PLOT and an interesting serial publishing idea
Tag: On Writing
Torn between projects and some new thoughts on the creative process
So I have a confession to make: a couple of days ago, when I was in something of a rough spot with my current novel, Stars of Blood and Glory, I had this overwhelming urge to go back and revisit Star Wanderers. In two days, I went through everything I’d written up to the point where… Continue reading Torn between projects and some new thoughts on the creative process
Writing Resolutions for 2012
As I write this post, I’m riding on the California Zephyr through western Colorado, going to my parents’ house in Massachusetts before heading out overseas on an adventure that I have no idea where it will take me before the end of the year. It’s an interesting time to make New Year’s resolutions, because so… Continue reading Writing Resolutions for 2012
Desert Stars is now published!
Desert Stars, my third novel (and second in the Gaia Nova series), is now available as an independently published ebook from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords. Within the next couple of weeks, it’ll be available through Kobo, iTunes, Diesel, Sony, and Xinxii as well. It’s been a long journey, and I’m thrilled to finally… Continue reading Desert Stars is now published!
Climbing the 10k mountain
I recently read an amazing blog post by Rachel Aaron, in which she explains how she went from writing about 2k words per day (about what I’m doing) to routinely breaking 10k. This is something I really want to do with my own writing. As I noted a couple of weeks ago, I need to… Continue reading Climbing the 10k mountain
Picking up the pace
I’m writing this post from somewhere in Iowa, riding the California Zephyr from Chicago to Salt Lake City. Since I hate sleeping on the train, I figured now is as good a time as any to write a blog post. One of the good things about traveling by train is that you have lots of… Continue reading Picking up the pace
Heinlein’s rules for the digital age
I’ve been thinking a lot about Heinlein’s rules and how they apply to my own writing career. While a lot of newer writers like to debate Heinlein, all of the long-time professionals tend to agree with him. For that reason, I think it’s worth taking a serious look at his rules and doing my best… Continue reading Heinlein’s rules for the digital age
Why I’m not a fan of writing groups
I was listening to a recent episode of I Should Be Writing today, and it got me thinking about writing groups and how my philosophy on them has changed. Long story short, I used to love them, but now I’m not such a huge fan. I should probably start out by mentioning that I lead… Continue reading Why I’m not a fan of writing groups
The interior designer’s approach to story
I recently read a fascinating post on John Brown’s blog with an interesting exercise for analyzing the kinds of stories you most like to read. By finding out what really turns you on in a story, you can have a much better idea what to write, and how to make your own stories better. He… Continue reading The interior designer’s approach to story
Writing is like tending an orchard
So I was hiking the Y tonight, pondering various things, and the thought occurred to me that writing is a lot like an olive orchard. First, you’ve got the land, both cultivated and wild. Cultivated land is like your conscious mind, where everything fits neatly into order and you have control over what you create. … Continue reading Writing is like tending an orchard