In the spring a writer’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love. And murder. And family drama. And history. And alien worlds. And vampires with a three-legged dog, an unfulfilling career, relationship woes, and daddy issues. Here are ten ways writers celebrate spring. It may not do as much for their house’s curbside appeal as, […]
When the Internet Returns Lost Things
When I was young and in school, two poems found me and wedged themselves into my memory like a shim wedging a gap beneath a door. The first was in high school. It was written, said our teacher, by a person in a jail cell, looking out his very tiny window. I remember neither the […]
A Writer’s Tribe: Critiquers, Alpha Readers, and Beta Readers, Oh My! – On the RMFW Blog
What’s the difference between alpha readers, critique groups, beta readers, sensitivity readers, developmental editors, and all the other reader/editor types out there? And what are we writers supposed to do with them all? Each one has a role to play in making your story the best it can be, whether you’re polishing your manuscript to […]
Why Does Writing Look Effortless?
Of all the arts, why is writing the only one that looks effortless? Why is the struggle of learning to write so invisible to the outside world? Can they not see the blood, sweat, late nights, and myriad revisions? No one wakes up in the morning and decides to be a concert pianist by lunchtime. […]
Perfect Writing Conditions and Other Fantasies
It happened again. I looked out my office window this morning, and there was no sign of the turquoise waters of the Caribbean, palm trees swaying in a salt-tinged breeze, or seabirds swooping over frothy waves. Instead, I was greeted by my normal view of my Colorado neighbors’ houses, fresh snow dusting last week’s old […]
Writing Body Language – Are Your Characters Fluent in Body Language?
In the improv comedy show Whose Line Is It Anyway?, the comedians often perform a particular sketch, called “Moving People,” where they pull two audience members on stage. Two of the comedians act out a scene while the two audience members frantically try to pose them to match the dialogue. The comedians are as helpful […]
