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Jun
20th
2016

Being a Better Writer: Author Morals and Story Theme · 8:52pm Jun 20th, 2016

So, right now, I think I may be able to guess what many of you are thinking, which is, upon looking at the title: Hey, didn’t we just read this like a week or two ago? To which I say, yes, almost.

For those of you who weren’t yet thinking, but now have looked up and noticed the similarities in the title, yes, it’s almost the same topic. In fact, there’s only a single word of difference.

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Apr
26th
2016

Being a Better Writer: Mysteries · 9:37pm Apr 26th, 2016

I think it was inevitable that this post was going to happen sooner or later.

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Jul
11th
2017

Being a Better Writer: Showing Character and Setting with Small Details · 5:15pm Jul 11th, 2017

This is a copy/paste of this week's BaBW post, which is available at my website!

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Aug
14th
2017

Being a Better Writer: Tragedy and Hubris · 9:56pm Aug 14th, 2017

"All the honors go to the tragedian for chewing up the scenery, while the comedian, who has to be much more subtle to be funny, is just loudly criticized when he doesn’t come through."
Attributed to Edmund Gwenn

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Sep
4th
2017

Being a Better Writer: Imitation ... or Copying? · 5:18pm Sep 4th, 2017

This'll be a short one today, guys. I'm actually still sick, but I really feel bad about missing last week's post (in truth, my whole week went by in a blur of "ack, bleck, cough cough cough, can't think, play Sonic Mania/X-Com 2). So you're getting a post today. Not the one I'd planned (my brain's not quite functional enough for the more in-depth companion piece

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Oct
2nd
2017

Being a Better Writer: Writing for Yourself · 9:45pm Oct 2nd, 2017

Short one today, readers. Mostly because I’m writing this between conference sessions on a Saturday, as I’ve got work shifts Monday and Tuesday, among other things, and so it’s literally a case of “Blitz this while I can!”

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Dec
13th
2017

Being a Better Writer: Acknowledging Our Accomplishments · 11:30pm Dec 13th, 2017

Welcome and Merry Christmas, readers, to this quite delayed Being a Better Writer post! First of all, it must be said, I'm sorry for the delays. I try to avoid letting these happen, but with the Christmas rush being what it has been ... I'm fighting to get a lot of things done.

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Jul
20th
2017

Classic Being a Better Writer: Romance and Gender · 8:12pm Jul 20th, 2017

Completely unexpected, by this point, but this post is a mirror of one found on my site!

It. Is. Time …

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May
21st
2018

Being a Better Writer: Currency · 7:49pm May 21st, 2018

Welcome to Monday, readers! And to another installment of Being a Better Writer! Where today, we’re going to talk about something worldbuilding related: Money!

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Sep
10th
2018

Being a Better Writer: Haters · 6:55pm Sep 10th, 2018

The moment you create something worthwhile, someone out there in the world will start to hate you. I wish this wasn’t the truth. I wish I could say that people were always going to be rational and capable of thought, but that’s not how it is.

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Oct
1st
2018

Being a Better Writer: Imagery and Metaphor · 8:01pm Oct 1st, 2018

Reaching the end of Topic List XI folks! Only a few more to go! But before we go diving into today’s Being a Better Writer post, a few bits of news to take care of.

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Dec
11th
2023

Emergency Update and Classic Being a Better Writer: Is It Original or Copying · 8:20pm Dec 11th, 2023

Hey everyone. Apologies for the lateness of this post, but … Well, by now you probably know what’s going on at my end of things. I’ll have a dedicated post on things later this week, but for now, if you’re truly in the dark, there’s a brief summary complete with links in the lead-in to last week’s post.

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Nov
23rd
2015

Being a Better Writer: Names · 5:44pm Nov 23rd, 2015

Bit of a shorter post today, as it's Thanksgiving week here in the US and I'm trying to set myself up for a trip to visit the relatives. With that in mind, no time to socialize: let's dive right into it!

So, naming things. This is, as you might guess, a requested topic. And to be honest, I think it's one worth talking about.

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Sep
14th
2015

Being a Better Writer: Creative? Or Copy? · 9:31pm Sep 14th, 2015

So a few months ago I picked up a fantasy book from the library. Pretty good book, actually; it kept me gripped well enough and had me staying up into the early hours of the morning to see how it panned out. But there was something interesting about it that I felt applied to today's topic.

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Jul
6th
2015

Being a Better Writer: Creating a Good Stinger · 8:11pm Jul 6th, 2015

Beyond the Borderlands Q&A answers will go up tomorrow with a special announcement

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Jan
23rd
2017

Being a Better Writer: Gradual Character Development · 10:13pm Jan 23rd, 2017

Hello readers! I'm back!

I know it was only a week, but honestly, it felt much longer. Funny how time works like that. It feels like forever since I've worked on a Being a Better Writer post, but at the same time, it feels like just yesterday I finished editing Colony ...

Time does weird things. And moves in odd ways. Speaking of which, that's probably a good topic for another BaBW post: Time. That one's on the list now.

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Dec
5th
2016

Being a Better Writer: Empty Details · 10:11pm Dec 5th, 2016

Today's topic is a bit of the inverse of the one I wrote last week. I didn't intend for this at first—in fact I had no plans for an inverse article when I sat down last Monday; the appearance of this one is entirely coincidence brought about by something I was reading.

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Dec
13th
2016

Being a Better Writer: Balancing Readers' Suspension of Disbelief · 1:02am Dec 13th, 2016

"Go! Go! Go!" Natalie didn't need to be told twice. With the clock ticking, the building was only minutes from coming apart in a blast that would level half the block. If she could get away before then, she had a chance, but if not ...

"Go!" the voice in her ear shouted once more.

"I'm going!" she snapped, crouching by the body of the colonel and retrieving his sidearm. Some of his thugs could still be standing between her and the exit.

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Jun
14th
2016

Being a Better Writer: Writing Warfare · 12:27am Jun 14th, 2016

Welcome back, readers (and by extension, writers). It’s time for another Being a Better Writer post. The topic for this week? It’s another request, and an interesting, if complex, one. Today, we’re going to discuss how to write a scene of warfare. Not a shoot-out, or a simple fight, but a full-on war.

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May
2nd
2016

Being a Better Writer: Sentence Construction and "Run-ons" · 9:13pm May 2nd, 2016

Sentence construction is one of those touchy things with a lot of novice writers. Personally, I blame the education system for not doing an adequate job explaining things, but the truth of the matter is that there are a lot of young writers out there (or worse, novice critics) who pass judgement on their own or others work without knowing much about what they’re actually passing judgement on. In the best case scenario, this leads to confusing feedback. In the worst-case scenario? Bad

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Viewing 81 - 100 of 397 results