Live a Better Story
Not only is Jeremy Statton one my best blogging buddies, he's also the busiest person I know. As an orthopedic surgeon, Jeremy works ten or more hours a day. Then, he goes home to his wife and four kids. On top of that, he somehow manages to find time to write on his...How to Use Layers to Enhance Your Plot
I'm happy to introduce our guest today, C.S. Lakin, who is the author of twelve novels (yes, TWELVE!), including the seven-book fantasy series, The Gates of Heaven. Ms. Lakin is a professional editor and loves to help writers improve at their craft. Make sure to swing...Head Hopping and Hemingway, Part II
For Whom the Bell Tolls is about an American ex-patriot named Robert Jordan who fights in the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s. It's Hemingway's longest novel at 270,000 words. I purchased my copy two years ago in Manhattan during a three-week meandering that took me...Head Hopping and Hemingway
A Write Practice reader and I recently got into a discussion about head hopping, which is when you switch from one character's thoughts to another in the middle of the action. It is generally known as an editor's pet-peeve, but my friend wasn't having it. “I do...Harry Potter and the Three Types of Heroes
JK Rowling’s journey with Harry Potter began, apparently, when Harry walked, fully formed onto her London bound train. She knew immediately she had been given a brilliant idea for a book. However, it still took her five years to brainstorm and write the rest. Which goes to show that while the hero might be the central character of the book, if you only have him or her, you don’t have much.
