It’s officially 2020, and I’m back to blogging! Today’s topic was entirely unexpected. After cutting over 16,000 words from THE FIRE BREATHES and doing an absurd amount of line edits, I was finally ready to start querying—armed with existential dread, encouraging critique partners, and a querying group chat of constructive feedback and support along the way. About a week ago, … Read More
THE LAST OF US is a Masterclass in POV
When discussing point of view (POV) in storytelling, we often default to literature. In today’s blog post, I’m here to argue that a video game—Naughty Dog’s since-remastered 2013 release, THE LAST OF US—provides a masterclass in how to leverage POV effectively, regardless of the medium in which you’re writing. Let’s start with the nitty-gritty: What’s POV, anyway? According to Reedsy, … Read More
3 Writing Lessons Learned from Video Games
If you want to be a writer, the advice goes, then you need to read widely and regularly. That’s true, but I’d argue that there are also lessons to be learned from what’s often dismissed as a shallow pastime: video games. When I’m not writing, editing, or thinking about writing/editing, I often wander back to my trusty PlayStation 4. Very … Read More
3 Reasons You Can’t Survive Without an Outline for NaNoWriMo
You’re hours away from October, which means you’re only a month away from National Novel Writing Month. In honor of the annual 30 days of masochism, I’ll be sharing weekly tips here for anyone—especially young writers—who wants to maximize their literary productivity this November. If you’re participating in NaNoWriMo 2019, then first of all, you have my utmost respect as … Read More