A question that has been asked since about the time people first began to write. What is it that makes a good writer? A good author? What is that magic formula that sets great authors apart from everybody else. It may not be as complicated an equation as you think. There are three basic elements …
Tag: technique
Permanent link to this article: http://www.maldene.com/writing-tips/1917
Maldene Behind The Scenes: Why So Many Characters?
Just the first Maldene novel has somewhere around 8 main characters and a dozen or so more secondary ones, and later novels only add to that number. In fact, by the time all 13 novels are finished, the number has topped some 250 characters. So, why so many characters? When you have such a vast …
Permanent link to this article: http://www.maldene.com/plot-talk/1849
Maldene Behind The Scenes How Deep Do I Plot? And Why?
One might ask, that with a 13-book series, how deep do I plot things? Well, I can tell you that by the time you’ve reached Chapter One of the first book you’ve already missed clues to major plot elements for the next two books. In Maldene IV I have a segment that only has its …
Permanent link to this article: http://www.maldene.com/plot-talk/1846
Writing Tips: Eccentric Characters
Every story has them, or at least every GOOD story has them. That one eccentric character with the quirk or odd way of behaving that draws him out to the reader’s eyes. A character that adds flavor and some fun to the telling of the tale. The eccentric character. First let’s clear something up. Eccentric …
Permanent link to this article: http://www.maldene.com/writing-tips/1714
W. J. Rosser Interview Now Available
Today on Author Talk I spoke with author W. J. Rosser. We talked a lot about the craft of writing, the different styles, as well as motivations for doing this stuff in the first place. About 10 minutes in there was a technical glitch that prevented us from hearing one another, so I had to …
Permanent link to this article: http://www.maldene.com/news/1582
Cristina Istrati Interviews Me On Blog Hop
Recently Cristina Istrati interviewed me about myself and my book, Maldene as part of her Blog Hop event. What follows is the text of that interview. 1) What is the Title of your book? “Maldene: Volume One” It’s actually the first half of the first novel, “Maldene”, just divided into 2 volumes since it’s a …
Permanent link to this article: http://www.maldene.com/uncategorized/1552
Writing Tips: What Is The Right Length For A Story
A question that has come up in many discussion groups is, how long should a story be? Some stories barely breach the definition of a novel at 80,000 words while others could challenge Harry Potter for sheer heft. So then, what Is the right length? The short answer is that a story is only as …
Permanent link to this article: http://www.maldene.com/writing-tips/1536
Writing Tips: Multiple POVs in an Epic Story
Writing an epic story takes a lot of planning, and by epic I’m talking something that spans multiple novels, has scenes that take place all over the world in question (or even on multiple worlds, where applicable), and has more than one major event taking place at the same time. Telling such a story requires …
Permanent link to this article: http://www.maldene.com/writing-tips/1354
Writing Tips: Passion In Your Writing
No matter what type of story, book, genre, or subject you wish to write about, be it short story, epic series, or self-help book, above and beyond ALL other good tips for writing, there is one piece of advice that rules them all, and that is Passion. You MUST have passion in your writing. So, …
Permanent link to this article: http://www.maldene.com/writing-tips/1218
Writing Tips: Designing An Alien Culture
In the course of writing a fantasy or science fiction story, the subject of alien cultures inevitably raises its head. The reader expects them and so as the writer it is your job to design some good ones. So, where to start? How do I design a culture that is alien enough and that the …
Permanent link to this article: http://www.maldene.com/writing-tips/1039
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