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Killing Your (Darling) Characters
So, when it comes to killing off characters, nobody knows the struggle better than a writer. (Notice I said characters, not people. Please ensure that I mean FICTIONAL people of IMAGINARY worlds. Murder is a big no-no IRL!) Writers search up these weird things all the time: how people act at funerals, what happens to…
Read MoreIf Life Were REALLY A Musical
1. Waiting in line would have its own dance number Originally posted by grindhousecellar 2. Not to mention traffic Originally posted by nathalierushman00 *just another day of suuun* 3. Can you IMAGINE what office gossip would be like? Hear me out. Because everyone would sing a super epic monologue if they had some crazy revelation.…
Read MoreTen Things Halloween Lovers Deal With
1. IT’S NOT HALLOWEEN YET IT’S STILL SUMMER. Yeah, well I don’t see the calendar keeping you from putting up lights in NOVEMBER, JANET! Originally posted by kaiandersonforpres 2. Is this some kind of phase? Yeah, and when it’s a full moon, I become a werewolf. Originally posted by dailyskyfox 3. You’re a witch, aren’t you?…
Read MoreWriting Tips for a Comic Script
I didn’t know how to write a script for a comic. I’d written books, short stories, news articles, report papers, feature scripts (for class!) and one-sheets. But I’d never written a comic script before. Scrolling through a famous Webtoon artist’s Instagram at midnight, I spied a call for writers to meet with artists and create,…
Read MoreHorror Genre Tropes
In honor of it being the good season of scares: June (not October, are you crazy?), let’s talk about horror. Oh, how I love the tropes of a good B-movie. 1. The characters seemingly have functioned this long with making fairly stupid decisions in their lives. Split up? Go alone towards the woods, you say,…
Read MoreIf You Ever Believe Your Writing’s Bad…
If you ever believe your writing’s bad… Like, inconsolably bad. You’re filled with self-doubt and self-loathing, and just hate everything…. Here are some suggestions to think otherwise. 1. Take the writing to someone who loves you and have them read it. Even too-flowery encouragement is still enough to get out of the rut of self-loathing.…
Read MoreFinish Your Projects and Eat Your Vegetables
The best advice I’ve ever received is “successful artists finish the projects they’re working on”. And the most frustrating advice I’ve ever received? You guessed it… Finish your damn manuscript before hopping around to something else. Sticking with a project when you have another, more exciting idea in mind is a bit like sticking with your…
Read MoreTen Things I Love About Halloween
I can be my coolest, most glittery self with the excuse that “it’s Halloween season!” Wear scary sweaters. Like Christmas, but with more skull-and-crossbones. Candy! Cookies! Ghostly cakes! The movies! Tim Burton, Hocus Pocus, Halloweentown. The scarier bits: Poltergeist, The Shining, The Orphanage. Sign me up! The music. There’s the scary movie soundtracks, the Monster…
Read MoreWhat REALLY Happens When Writing Under Deadlines
Step 1: Write that deadline down somewhere you can see it. Your phone. Your wall. All over your arms. Step 2: Break your project into manageable chunks. Maybe just two pages a day. Maybe set a specific day aside just to write. Step 3: Inevitably procrastinate Step 4: Regret step 3 Step 5: Pretend that…
Read MoreTen Things Authors Think About When Writing Horror
I love horror stories. I love watching horror movies, getting into the Halloween spirit, and learning about new and creepy mythology. I hate haunted houses, but no horror-loving fool can be perfect. That being said, here’s 10 things writers think about when writing horror stories. I’m going to be like Mary Shelley It was a…
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