Archive

  • Villains: Why We Love Such Hateful Scoundrels

    Villains: Why We Love Such Hateful Scoundrels

    Image: Dick Dastardly, doomed to villainy from the day he was named. Wacky Races promotional material, courtesy of Wikipedia, fair use Last week, I talked about antagonists and their importance to a good story. If you read it, you may have noted that I said antagonists are not necessarily villains. Antagonists are just a roadblock… Read more

  • Antagonism: The Types of Conflict that Shape a Story

    Antagonism: The Types of Conflict that Shape a Story

    Featured Image: “Black Knight vs Blue Knight” by tinyfroglet is licensed under CC BY 2.0. Funny thing about conflict: We don’t like it in real life, but we pay money to see people who aren’t real suffer. I mean, what good movie or book doesn’t have some sort of conflict at the heart of the story? The rebel… Read more

  • Lessons I Learned Writing My First Book, Part 5: Humility

    Lessons I Learned Writing My First Book, Part 5: Humility

    What’s the greatest challenge you face as a writer? The hours of hard work spent crafting your story? Pushing back against writer’s block? Trying to research a key piece of your book that you can’t quite get right? Finding a publisher? Finding the money to publish independently? After all the effort you put into your… Read more

  • Lessons I Learned Writing My First Book, Part 4: Patience

    Lessons I Learned Writing My First Book, Part 4: Patience

    Waiting, waiting, waiting. All things come to those who wait, or so they say. It’s a bit glib, isn’t it? Besides, waiting is only half the game. Patience isn’t just about waiting. It’s about focus. It’s about working without complaint. It’s about denying yourself instant gratification in favor of long-term benefits. It’s about enduring the… Read more

  • Lessons I Learned Writing My First Book, Part 3: Perseverance

    Lessons I Learned Writing My First Book, Part 3: Perseverance

    Seventy-eight, seventy-nine, eighty … Do you like doing pushups? What about arm curls? Or squats? Eighty-five, eighty-six, eighty … eighty-seven … They can take a lot out of you. How often have you been tempted to stop halfway through your exercise routine? Ninety … ninety … ninety-FIVE … Ninety … SIX. Or have you only… Read more

  • Lessons I Learned Writing My First Book, Part 2: Discipline

    Lessons I Learned Writing My First Book, Part 2: Discipline

    You’re running at a steady pace. You’ve been running for the past thirty minutes. Sweat streams down your back and drips from your brow onto your nose and neck. The marathon is halfway done. Only halfway. Your thoughts stray. You think of a cold glass of water. You think of resting – just for a… Read more