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Showing posts 41 to 50 labeled Writing in General (77 total)
What I Learned from Bridal Mask (October 9, 2015)
I recently started watching one of the highest rated and most recommended Korean dramas of the 2010s, Bridal Mask (or Gaksital), starring heartthrob Joo Won as the titular superhero. More »
The Fear of Breaking Things (September 21, 2015)
If you're afraid of breaking things, it's impossible to become a good programmer. The same can be said of writers. More »
What Makes People Like Hateful Characters? (July 4, 2015)
People often judge others by their words and interpersonal behavior, not by their actions. They identify with characters who are likeable on the surface, even if they're rotten to the core. More »
What I Learned from The Hunger Games (June 30, 2015)
The task of finding a popular novel to dissect for this project was a head-scratcher, until I spotted the perfect candidate on my own bookshelf: The Hunger Games. More »
Writing a Watson (May 1, 2015)
If a main character is not directly responsible for most of the significant events in a story, you don't have a protagonist. You have a Watson. More »
Sleight of Hand (April 30, 2015)
Books are written left to right in one linear line, but a good book doesn't feel linear. When I read a good book, I feel like I'm free to explore an imaginary world. When I read a bad one, I feel like the author is leading me by the nose. More »
What Readers Want in Cozy Mysteries (April 13, 2015)
I hold Angela Lansbury personally responsible for breaking my resolve to stay away from books. More »
Why Plot Isn't Everything (November 16, 2014)
Because readers care so much about plot, many writers fall into the trap of thinking it's the only narrative element that matters. More »
Balancing Humor and Pathos (November 8, 2014)
One of the reasons comedy is so difficult to write and sell is that most modern readers want to identify with the characters of novels. They don't like to watch and judge from the outside; they like to be in the protagonists' skin. They like heroes and heroines to feel the way they feel and think the way they think. More »
A Story vs. Stuff That Happens (October 11, 2014)
When we writers critique each others' queries or manuscripts, there's one piece of advice that's both the most common for us to dole out and the most infuriating for us to hear: "None of this is the story. Tell us the story!" More »