At its core, writing is not an exhibition–not something you do to show people that you can, in fact, do it. I think that this is something a lot of people get wrong. I’ve seen writers who relish in their wordcraft, enjoying how they’ve, say, reduced a reader to tears. They throw out a cornucopia …
Read more “Raw Honesty, and Why Writers Who Want To Do This Right Have No Choice”
Epic fantasy formulas are usually thus: An ordinary young person, (usually a boy, but also sometimes a girl), discovers something unique about him or herself: a hidden talent or a prophesy, or maybe they can swallow swords while juggling cats, I don’t know. And it turns out that this secret is what saves the world. …
Read more “The Character-Driven Epic: The Hero’s Journey and the Drive to Succeed”
A while back, I posted a link to fanfiction I wrote when I was 14. I’m not going to do it again; I’d like to spare you from further eye-gouging opportunities, especially in the likely scenario that you’ve never read any of my stuff before. I’ve improved, I swear. I think people have this image …
Read more “When Everything You Write Is Shit: Why Young Writers Should Not Give Up”
Last weekend, we went up to the Purcell Mountains in BC to do an overnight hike and some sightseeing. I’ve been wanting to go up to this area for years, but have not been able to build up the stamina to do so until now. By stamina, I don’t mean about the actual hike itself. …
