Brief caveat to this post: I do not consider myself a horror writer. In fact, I have only ever written maybe two or three stories that had any horror elements within them whatsoever. But as an audience member, I frequently experience horror. And artful storytelling has gifted me with enough experience to know that true…
I had a creative writing instructor once tell the class that, sometimes, when he was going through a case of writer’s block, he would start with the title of a piece and go from there. And one of the best places for titles, he said, was Craigslist. He told us to go through the “For…
While this is not a piece of writing advice I frequently employ, it has nevertheless come to my aid on more than one occasion: do the opposite. If you find yourself stuck at a certain part in your story, and nothing else seems to be working, do the opposite of whatever it is you’ve been…
Good music is always inspirational, and many authors have been known to use music as a helpful push in the right direction with their writing. Songs have the ability to play with our emotions. They can make us feel sad, excited, or full of dread, and oftentimes these are emotions we struggle to find in…
Previously we talked about taking a break between edits, and how stepping away for a period of time can help you approach a project with a fresher perspective. Well, imagine taking years in-between a first draft and a second draft to refresh your perspective on it—especially if you originally saw no merit in finishing it.…