For the record, the phrase “killing your darlings” means something different in creative writing circles. But just for today: can we talk about death in fiction? As I am (apparently) prone to do, I was once listening in on a conversation between customers in the bookstore where I work. They got on the subject of…
Several years ago, I caught myself getting wrapped up in, of all things, a sitcom from the early 2010s. Not one to quickly get involved in a new show—particularly a sitcom, particularly post-millennium—you can imagine my surprise when my immediate attention kept drifting from my spaghetti prepping to the TV screen. It was something my…
In the past I have talked about trigger warnings and my stance on them—not only as a writer, but as an audience member. And as of this blog post, I still—more or less—stand by those thoughts. And on a somewhat related topic (though, not directly related), I’ll add one thing more to the conversation: I…
A garret, or small attic room–commonly defined alongside words like “dismal,” and “wretched”–is a space dedicated to lonely artists and young people reflecting on their lives. It is a room of boxes stuffed with memories; things we’ve outgrown, but haven’t had the heart to say goodbye to. Write a poem in the style of Jo…
Another one of those pieces of writing advice that might be hard to achieve, but works well once executed, is stopping yourself in the middle of a segment you really want to write. Much of author life is dragging your feet through all the less exciting chapters and getting to the good stuff. And once…