Creating a character that seems believable is tricky. One reader might read your character and feel like they made a new friend, and another might read the dialogue and think, No one talks like that. While you can’t make everyone happy all the time, you can take some steps to make your characters feel complex…
Tag: fiction
Writing Prompt: Neighbor War
Living among people isn’t always easy for us as writers. People do plenty of rude things that irritate those of us trying to think. Here’s your chance to imagine your revenge. 🙂 The Writing Exercise Your character has tried to tactfully let a neighbor know that they have been rude (think: barking dog, spilled garbage,…
#Writing Prompt: Cold-hearted
It’s a been a long while since I’ve shared some writing prompts, so I thought I’d start them up again! I hope you enjoy this one. It’s a wintry evening. The temperature is dropping and your character is running late for an important meeting with a potential new client. If s/he lands this account, it…
A Writer’s New Year’s #Resolutions 2021
This year, I’m issuing myself a set of challenges, and I’ll see how I did at the end of the year! Write every day. Every writer knows that he’s supposed to do this, but we find a reason not to. Maybe you’re tired from work. Maybe you got a bad review. Maybe life is just…
Poetry in Every Moment
Writing is as much a compulsion as a career. People who write often feel so strongly compelled that they ache or feel empty when NOT writing regularly. Writers often see the world just a bit differently, too. Where everyone else sees falling snow, poets like Mary Oliver see stars in the dark trees. She presents…
All Over Twist
In writing horror, is a twist ending worth it? “Soylent Green is people!” “It’s in the water!” “I can see dead people…” You could easily site many examples were a big twist at the end makes a story memorable. But, on the other hand, how many times have you groaned over the “and they were…
Author Shorts: What authors have inspired/informed/shaped your own work?
I’ve asked a variety of authors to answer a few questions that I pose. Of course, I love a twist. All answers had to be no more than two sentences. Brevity presents a greater challenge. For me the process was delightful as well as insightful. I love that authors can express our personalities and style…
Mayhem Monday: #Supernatural Survival Skills Test Question 10
It’s #MayhemMonday, and, it’s up to you to survive! If you enjoyed this post, look around, or sign up below ↓ to receive future posts via email.Â
A Trip Down Scream Queen Lane
Few scream queens get the recognition they deserve, but most seem to have languished despite an impressive portfolio of horror. In this post, I share a few Scream Queens that have brought me joy. A few, I think, have been forgotten, and deserve a second watch. In the late 1970s, Katharine Ross added an impressive…
Author Shorts: How do you define suspense?
Author shorts is back! And this time, I want to know, “How do YOU define suspense?” Of course, the Author Shorts twist is that there are no long-winded responses aloud. All answers had to be no more than two sentences. Brevity presents a greater challenge. “Suspense is the moment you reach when you want to…
