How Alix E. Harrow Makes Me Cry

This is a story analysis post shared from my Patreon. It's the 27th short story this year in which I've taken apart the casing to watch the engine move. If you like that sort of thing, please consider pledging. Do Not Look Back, My Lion is in Beneath Ceaseless Skies Issue #270, a fabulous magazine … Continue reading How Alix E. Harrow Makes Me Cry

Seven Joys of January

Soon, the cows will be having babies. They'll be so little and cute, curled up in the hay and chasing each other on too-long legs. As I type this, snow is falling thick and forever, weighing down the willows, curling their edges toward the ground. Here are places and ideas and stories that brought me … Continue reading Seven Joys of January

Every Character is the Star of Their Show

Got a sidekick? I don't mean in real life! (although maybe you do. If so, I hope you also have a kickass soundtrack.) Writing secondary characters with depth and voice is often what separates a good story from a great one, and I have an example for you from a movie! (spoilers ahead) In The Life … Continue reading Every Character is the Star of Their Show

Annihilation & Rosewater

Ever read a book and think, wow...this is super a lot like something else I've read, but also super different and they might be cousins or maybe it's more like the Fibonacci sequence in a sunflower and a seashell meeting in a constellation. Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer This was my second time reading the book. … Continue reading Annihilation & Rosewater

Breaking Rules

There are no writing police. Yes, there are gatekeepers, but those editors and publishers and markets make what they want clear by what they publish. That's one reason I'm doing the 300 published stories challenge over on Patreon. (Come join me!) I'm also reading down my TBR-pile. Currently, I'm working on the re-read of Pullman's … Continue reading Breaking Rules

Eliza David – romance author

Is it cold where you live? A hot romance will fix you right up, and Eliza David has a whole collection to entice you. She does it all. Board member, blogger & contributing writer, moderator for the Writers' Rooms, headlining author at the Iowa Book Festival, plus wife & parent. And, she finds time to … Continue reading Eliza David – romance author

Olivia’s Table by Alyssa Wong

One of my 2019 goals is to read and analyze 300 short stories to help me be better at short form writing. I'm sharing them in batches of three over on my Patreon, but wanted to highlight this particular story and the lessons I learned from the exercise with you. Olivia's Table by Alyssa … Continue reading Olivia’s Table by Alyssa Wong

Far, Middle, Near

One of the higher level editing I'm tackling right now in my work involves setting. I grew up reading a lot of Sci-Fi that often felt like you were in an empty room. It was the norm for that style and time. Like fashion, genre writing changes. Evolves. Gets better! So, my writing tends toward … Continue reading Far, Middle, Near

FS;HE – Edna St. Vincent Millay

It's time for another round of the creativity game, Famous Starts/Humble Endings! If you've never played, the rules are fairly simple. I will give you lines of a famous poem in bold. Your job is to write the next line. There are no wrong answers! This is simply a way to play with words and … Continue reading FS;HE – Edna St. Vincent Millay

Be The Ring-Giver

Sometimes writers (and artists) forget to celebrate achievements. Or they skimp on giving themselves a true accolade. Partly because not everything we accomplish looks like capitalism, and partly because our goal posts tend to move with every success. This is unhealthy if you aren't being mindful. How often have you set a goal, reached it, … Continue reading Be The Ring-Giver