We’ve gone over our characters and probably have an idea of a story or plot. So why stop now and look at the very words we use? It’s important because we want to get our words, sentences, and paragraphs in good working order before we get too deeply into our […]
Profitable Aspects of Writing—Little Cash Involved
The most profitable aspect of writing has little to do with money. When I began my writing journey, I believed I might make enough profit to buy…to repair…to solve… To fill in some blank in my life. Yet, during the ten years that I’ve been writing and publishing novels, non-fiction […]
Learning the Craft: The Villain Character
How to create a villain? Take a good look at your hero. What kind of villain would he have? What is your hero trying to accomplish, and what kind of bad guy (or gal) would fight the hero’s desired outcome? Not everyone can be good. And if everyone were always […]
Learning the Craft: The Adversary Character
What is an Adversary Character in Literature? According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the word adversary is from the Latin adversarius, which means “turned toward” or “antagonistic toward.” All villains are adversaries, but not all adversaries are villains. An adversary is not necessarily evil. He or she is a character who […]
Learning the Craft: The Teacher or Mentor Character
What is a Mentor in Literature? The classic mentor is a wise and learned older person who takes the protagonist under his wing. He or she has usually been in the place or situation the protagonist is now. The Mentor ‘knows the ropes.’ If the main character is in […]
Learning the Craft: Character Creation
Why start with creating your characters? If you write fiction, you know that there are two kinds of fiction. There is action-driven fiction that is fast-paced and all about the plot. Then there is character-driven fiction which is what I write. While the plot is slower, the characters and the […]
The Twelve Steps to being a Spiritual Writer
Step Five- Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. Over the past few weeks, we have examined our failings and sins. The purpose has not been to feel badly about ourselves. It is to examine the habits, fears, and patterns that […]
Karina Teaches Worldbuilding – Final Lesson
Over this year, Karina is going to share some of her writing seminars on the blog, with the lessons and references for further study. We’ll be posting these once a month. There’s no assigned homework, but if you have questions, please ask them in the comments. Her first workshop is […]
Karina Teaches Worldbuilding – Lesson 6
Over this year, Karina is going to share some of her writing seminars on the blog, with the lessons and references for further study. We’ll be posting these once a month. There’s no assigned homework, but if you have questions, please ask them in the comments. Her first workshop is […]
Freelancing – When Your Manuscript Is Accepted
You’ve been checking e-mail constantly looking for the message that says, “Manuscript accepted!” Finally it arrives, you’ve done it, you’re published and you will get paid for your work. CUE ANGELIC CHOIR Now you can start running to your mailbox constantly or logging into your bank account looking for the […]