@vikingzx.bsky.social

1 week ago

Welcome #writers! This week for Being a Better Writer we're talking about oversharing, as you can see in the title there. What that means, though? Well, you'll have to hit the jump. Get to it, and lets refine our craft!
#writing #BeingaBetterWriter #writingtips #writingguides #genre #audience

@vikingzx.bsky.social

2 weeks ago

What drives the reader, and are you delivering it? This week on Being a Better Writer we talk about reader engagement, and how analyzing it can help you craft the stories your audience wants to read. Hit the jump!
#writing #BeingaBetterWriter #writingguides #writingtips #writers

@vikingzx.bsky.social

3 weeks ago

Being a Better Writer: We Need Evil Oh yeah, there's a title! Welcome writers, to this week's installment of Being a Better Writer, and I hope you're ready for an intriguing topic. We're getting a little philosophical today, but as usual, there's more to that title than meets the eye. So don't grab your pitchfork just yet. Also, before we get into this week's writing topic, I do want to point you in the direction of…

Welcome writers! We've got a pretty compelling topic today. Won't you ... step inside my lair?
Seriously though, with a title like that, things are bound to be interesting. Hit the jump!
#writing #BeingaBetterWriter #writingguides #writingtips

@vikingzx.bsky.social

4 weeks ago

Being a Better Writer: Wrong on Purpose You have no idea how tempted I was to put a typo in that title. Welcome, writers, to another installment of Being a Better Writer, where as you can see, today we're talking about doing it wrong. On purpose. Oh, this is going to be fun. And a little controversial. I think we'll definitely earn that tag today. And, I can definitely tell you that there are going to be some who find today's topic utterly repulsive.

Hey #writers! This week on Being a Better Writer we're talking about being wrong on purpose! Hit the jump, because this one is harder than it sounds! #writing #BeingaBetterWriter #writingtips #writingadvice #writingguides

@vikingzx.bsky.social

2 months ago

Being a Better Writer: There is No Perfect Story Yes, I left that error in the title on purpose, writers. Welcome back to another installment of Being a Better Writer. Today we've got an interesting topic to talk about, taken from the newly built Topic List #29. Which, I may add, is only half-full. You can still get an request in there if you want to. And you totally should.

Yo #writers! #LTUE might be this week, but that doesn't mean we're skipping Being a Better Writer! This week, we're talking about a fairly contentious #writing topic. Hit the jump, and let's discuss that nebulous term, perfection.
#BeingaBetterWriter #writingtips #writingguides

@vikingzx.bsky.social

2 months ago

Being a Better Writer: When To Start Over Welcome writers! To another installment of Being a Better Writer. One written off the cuff with no planned topic from a Topic List! Why? Well, because there currently isn't a Topic List. #28 is dried up, and #29 is being worked on! Speaking of which, if you'd like to see a topic covered in a future Being a Better Writer…

Got a tough one for you this week #writers: When is it time to start over? This week on Being a Better Writer, we talk about identifying deeper flaws with projects, and what happens when you double down on them instead of fixing. Hit the jump!
#writing #BeingaBetterWriter #writingtips #writingguides

@vikingzx.bsky.social

2 months ago

Being a Better Writer: Writing From the Real Welcome back, writers! Monday is here, and so too is your weekly dose of Being a Better Writer! Which this week, has a topic most of you probably weren't thinking about. Rather than beat around the bush, I'm just going to leap right into it: this week, we're talking about non-fiction writing. Well, almost. A quick aside to remind you that today is Martin Luther King Jr.

Welcome, #writers! This week on Being a Better Writer, we're discussing something we've never discussed before: Non-fiction writing! How is it different than the practice of fiction?

Hit the jump. Let's talk #writing!

#BeingaBetterWriter #writingguides #writingtips

@vikingzx.bsky.social

3 months ago

Classic Being a Better Writer: Common Stumbles of New Projects Hey writers! Welcome back! We are on the last days of our vacation here on the site (even if it is a staycation in many respects) and celebrating the New Year, so this week is once more a visit from a Classic Being a Better Writer post of yesteryear. However, as the last two posts have dug nearly a decade into our archives, today we're looking at something that is…

Happy New Year, writers! We're still on a vacation, but we've got a classic New Year's post for you at Being a Better Writer! Hit the jump!
#writing #writingadvice #writingguides #BeingaBetterWriter

@vikingzx.bsky.social

3 months ago

Classic Being a Better Writer: Giving Characters a Leitmotif Hello again writers! We're away from our keyboard this week enjoying the holidays, but that doesn't mean the writing advice needs to slow down, especially with a backlog as deep as Being a Better Writer's! So, while we're catching up on our reading and gaming backlog, have this near decade-old Classic BaBW post to enjoy! Hit that jump, and we'll see you with fresh content again soon. Read More ...

We're still away from the desk for the holiday season, but that doesn't mean the writing advice has stopped! Enjoy this classic post from our archives on character writing!
#writing #writingadvice #writingguides #BeingaBetterWriter

@vikingzx.bsky.social

3 months ago

Classic Being a Better Writer: Holidays Welcome, writers! I'm off this week for Christmas, so this week won't be a new Being a Better Writer post but a returning classic. And it'll be the same next week as well. But, being topical, we've decided to dig back into an old worldbuilding post on the concept of holidays themselves! Oh, but really quick, there IS one item of news.

We're on Christmas break this week, but you can still enjoy a classic Being a Better Writer post for your writing advice! And it's a topical topic: Holidays! Hit the jump!
#writingadvice #writingguides #writing #BeingaBetterWriter #worldbuilding

@vikingzx.bsky.social

4 months ago

Being a Better Writer: Avoiding Burnout Welcome again writers! We're back for our last non-Classic post before the Christmas Break ... and interestingly enough it's about breaks. Go figure! Something that, if you check out last week's news post, you'll hear a little more on. But, that news post was pretty sparse because of this post being so topical, so today we're just going to jump right in and talk about it!

For our last Being a Better Writer article before Christmas, we tackle a reader request and talk about burnout! Hit the jump!
#health #writing #writingguides #BeingaBetterWriter #selfcare

@vikingzx.bsky.social

4 months ago

Being a Better Writer: How Many Characters Do You Need? Welcome back, writers! Monday here, post-Thanksgiving break, and that means we're back delivering Being a Better Writer for you to read. Or, more accurately from the site traffic these days, for AI to steal and barf up as part of the slop somewhere else that someone paid a couple of bucks for. Yes, I'm still getting inundated with AI scrapers and quite unhappy about it.

Being a Better Writer has a fun topic this week folks: How many characters does your story need?
An easy answer? Maybe not. Hi the jump!
#writing #writingtips #writingguides #BeingaBetterWriter #writingadvice

@vikingzx.bsky.social

4 months ago

We were away from keyboard for the Thanksgiving weekend, but that doesn't mean the writing advice stops! Check out this blast from the past with a classic Being a Better Writer post!
#writingtips #writingguides #BeingaBetterWriter #writing

@vikingzx.bsky.social

4 months ago

Being a Better Writer: One-Note Stories Welcome back writers! It's Monday once again, which of course means it's time for another installment of Being a Better Writer. You know, as evidenced by that title up there. Now, as you may also have gathered from that title, we've got an interesting topic to cover for today, one that's been on my mind for quite some time. Even before it ended up on the Topic List, in fact.

As we gear up for Thanksgiving, the writing advice keeps coming! This week, we talk about one-note stories. What are they, how do you write them, and why would you want to? Hit the jump, and let's talk about it.
#writingtips #BeingaBetterWriter #writingguides #writing

@vikingzx.bsky.social

5 months ago

A lot of focus and attention is given to the opening sentence of stories. But ... is that focus and attention correct? Or is there more to it? Today, writers, we're talking about hooks. Hit the jump!
#writingtips #writingguides #BeingaBetterWriter

@vikingzx.bsky.social

6 months ago

Being a Better Writer: Romance – Not Just A Genre, and Not Just Necking Welcome back writers! Today we're clocking in on a pretty interesting topic, and so I'm both excited to see your reactions as well as to share it. Oh, and it's probably not what you think. But, as usual, before I do I'd like to point you toward last Friday's news post, which was a double-feature. Not only was it the usual collection of news, it also was the first OP-ED I've written in a while.

We've got an interesting topic today folks (as you can see from the title). So hit that jump and take a look!
#writing #writingtips #writingguides #romance #beingabetterwriter

@vikingzx.bsky.social

7 months ago

Being a Better Writer: How Do I Edit? Welcome back, writers! Monday has arrived, and with it the final topic of Topic List #27! Yes, that's right, the months have gone by, and we're at last on the final topic of that list. Which means list #28 is right around the corner. And we've already got some interesting writing topics on that one. Though if you'd like to get your…

This week on Being a Better Writer, we're talking about how one edits. Which is a more involved task than many think! It's not just typos and spellcheck, writers! Hit the jump!
#writing #writingadvice #beingabetterwriter #writingguides

@vikingzx.bsky.social

7 months ago

Being a Better Writer is doing another Topic Call! What writing topics would YOU like Being a Better Writer to cover? Hit the jump and let us know!
##writing #writingadvice #writingguides #BeingaBetterWriter

@vikingzx.bsky.social

7 months ago

Being a Better Writer: Branding and Presence Welcome back, writers! Monday is upon us once more, the inexorable march of time carrying us forward into another week. Which elsewhere would be cause for a lament on the fleeting nature of time itself and the existential dread that for many lingers in the human existence. But this is a writing website, not a cooking blog. So for us, Monday just means more writing advice!

Being a Better Writer starts the week off right, folks! And this week we have a topic that comes up a lot, but also is sadly ignored by too many. But it's critical all the same. Hit the jump!
#writing #writingadvice #writingguides #BeingaBetterWriter

@vikingzx.bsky.social

8 months ago

Being a Better Writer: Who Voices the Narration? Welcome back, writers! And, I hope, readers! Because if you weren't aware, Blood Less Vile - A Jacob Rocke Mystery, my tenth published novel and return to a character who hasn't had his own solo outing since 2013, releases tomorrow! Yeah, that's a big deal. I'll be doing a Reddit AMA tomorrow to celebrate/promote the occasion, as well as answer any questions that come up (because it…

Welcome, writers! Today's topic is the subject of frequent discussion online, and often considered a stumbling block for many developing writers as a result. Hit the jump, and let's dive in!
#writing #writingguides #writingtips #BeingaBetterWriter #writingadvice

@vikingzx.bsky.social

8 months ago

Being a Better Writer: The Cliff-Notes Reader Hey writers, it's Monday, and that means it's time for more Being a Better Writer! Or perhaps, given today's topic, Being a Better Reader? I'll tell you, I waffled on which to label this. In the end, I left it as our classic title because we do need writers to be aware of the shifts and changes that are taking place right now across the wider writing sphere.

Hello #writers, but also #readers! We've got an interesting one for you this week. Rather than waste time here, we're just going to tell you to hit the jump.
#writing #writingguides #beingabetterwriter #reading

@vikingzx.bsky.social

8 months ago

Being a Better Writer: Scale and Scope Welcome once again, writers of all ages and experience! Monday has arrived, and with it comes a new installment of Being a Better Writer! Are you ready? I hope so, because it's right here, and you're reading these words so ... If you're not ready, too late! Now, as always, I'd say check the latest news post, which was last Wednesday.

Welcome again, #writers! This week on Being a Better Writer we've got a topic that frequently comes up, even if many aren't sure what to make of it. Hit that jump, and let's talk about scale and scope.
#writing #writingguides #beingabetterwriter

@vikingzx.bsky.social

9 months ago

Welcome back to another Being a Better Writer post, #writers! This week we've got a topic we were shocked to discover we'd not covered before. So hit the jump! What are you waiting for?

#writing #writingtips #BeingaBetterWriter #endings #writingguides

@vikingzx.bsky.social

9 months ago

Being a Better Writer: Letting Characters Grow Without Becoming Overpowered Welcome once again, writers of all experience! Monday has arrived, and so too has your weekly installment of Being a Better Writer. And today we've got an interesting topic to cover that's probably going to range even further than I expect. But, before we dive into that, I do want to direct each of you to last week's news post…

Welcome, #writers! We've got another Being a Better Writer topic to discuss today, so hit that jump and let's dive in!
#writingadvice #writingguides #beingabetterwriter

@vikingzx.bsky.social

9 months ago

Being a Better Writer: What IS Good Prose? Welcome writers! We're diving right in today, and asking a question that's been on my mind quite a bit recently: What is good prose? I ask this because if there's one place you won't find a consensus, it's on the internet. Sands, I can promise you that regardless of what I post here, multiple individuals will declare it "wrong" and put forth their favorite work as an example of "good prose" while arguing that all else is "bad/poor prose."

Welcome again writers! This week we're tackling an age-old question that often leads to a wide variance of answers online: What IS good prose, and how can we make sure our writing is it? Hit the jump, because the answer may not be what you expect!
#writing #writingtips #writingguides

@vikingzx.bsky.social

10 months ago

Being a Better Writer: When Characters Won’t Do What You Want (and Why It’s a Good Thing) Welcome back, writers! Unless you're brand-new today, you know what this is. It's this week's installment of Being a Better Writer! Which is—again, if you're new—exactly what it sounds like on the tin: A weekly guide to all things writing! Fully searchable, tagged by topics, etc. Anyway, if you're a veteran reader of the site, you know this. And you're just wondering how exactly we're going to cover today's topic.

Welcome again to another installment of Being a Better Writer! This week we've got a classic topic that's probably as old and timeless as storytelling itself. Check out that title, guess at our subject, and then hit the jump for the full discussion!
#writing #writingguides #writingadvice

@vikingzx.bsky.social

10 months ago

Being a Better Writer: Writing Short Stories Welcome again, writers! It's Monday, and that means it's time for your weekly dose of writing knowledge. This week's topic? Well, it's pretty straightforward, as you might have gathered from our title. It's also a request topic, tackled at last as we work our way through the list. Now, before you dive in, I would urge you to check out…

Welcome writers! This week on Being a Better Writer, we tackle a reader request and talk about short story writing! Hit the jump!
#writing #writingguides #shortstories #beingabetterwriter

The Broken Spine (SUBS OPEN)

@thebrokenspine.co.uk

11 months ago

The Novel Inside You by Paul Magrs - A Review - The Broken Spine Paul Magrs has published over fifty books including memoirs, Doctor Who novels, literary fiction, science fiction, magic realism, and gothic novels. He has a

"Paul Magrs’s The Novel Inside You is a brilliant guide for aspiring authors and seasoned storytellers alike."

📖 Read the full review:
thebrokenspine.co.uk...

#WritingGuides #PaulMagrs

@vikingzx.bsky.social

11 months ago

Being a Better Writer: Be Curious! Welcome, writers! It's Monday, and that means we're back with another installment of Being a Better Writer. Now, today's installment is probably going to wind up a bit shorter than normal, because I picked a more straightforward topic. Maybe not. I say this from time to time, but only half the time am I right. But I'll try, because I've got editing to do for…

Welcome, writers! This week we're covering a topic I get asked about at every con, but we're taking a deeper dive into it than normal. Hit that jump!
#writing #writingtips #writingguides #creativity