Confessions of a Ghost (Writer): When to Hold an Exorcism (Rocky 2)
I recently had to exorcise, er, fire a client. One I’d been working with for years. I have written three complete novels for this fellow,
Tag: craft of writing
Favorite Characters
As an author of historical fiction, I’m often asked who my favorite character is. Particularly, I’m asked about the fictional characters, because the historical figures
So You Want To Commit Novel
Originally published 6/3/2010 When I run out of steam on my initial idea and need to stop and take a breath and figure out what
The Plant Rejects the Gardener (and it can be just the same with writing, too)
Let me be clear, I am a truly rotten gardener. It’s not just plants; whole trees have died under my care. To be fair to
WORLD-BUILDING & RELIGION: Warts and All
The question I fielded about literary license in a Q&A in a Catholic Writers Conference I participated in as a non-Catholic guest, (I’m a Baha’i)
College of Sidekicks and Secondary Characters – Commencement Address
I wrote this a little while ago for a very specific purpose. But I just had a discussion with somebody about one of my “secondary”
The Name of the Prose, Part 4: A Ghoti by Any Other Name is Still a Fish
As I commented in the previous installment of this series, my first novel was also my first experience trying to create a fantasy world from
The Name of the Prose, Part 3: You Are Here
A sense of place plays a critical role in determining whether a reader “gets into” a story or not. Place names can lend an aura
The Name of the Prose, Part 2: The Name is Bond—James Bond
Ah, but what if it hadn’t been “James Bond”? What if the name Ian Fleming gave his super spy had been “Crane, Ichabod Crane?” Clearly,
The Name of the Prose, Part 1: What’s in a Name?
Here’s a question for you, Dear Reader. What publisher would have taken Bram Stoker seriously if he’d submitted a book about a mysterious, terrifying vampire
Research & (Plot) Development
Hello, my name is Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff, and I’m a recovering research-aholic. I know that research addiction is common among writers of speculative fiction (genres
The Mathematics of Writing: All Art Forms Are Not Created Equal
Over the years, I’ve been called upon to move a story from one art form into another—to novelize a movie or play, to write a
Three Things to Tell Your Teenage Writing Self: #2 And then stuff happens
via GIPHY One joyous discovery I made along my journey to full-on authorhood was that the middles of books are hard, yes, but they are
