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Sep
19th
2016

Being a Better Writer: Sidekicks · 10:56pm Sep 19th, 2016

The original concept for this post, or rather I should say request as that's what it was, was for information regarding a comedic sidekick. But I've decided to expand on that a little for two reasons. First, dying is easy, but comedy is hard. Really hard. I envy those who can write comedy, like Adams, Prachett, Taylor, or Korman. It's a serious talent. The art of regularly keeping a comedic tone, building things up for comedic beats not just every once and a while, but with

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Aug
15th
2021

CURRENTLY OFF THE GRID · 12:57am Aug 15th, 2021

Yo! If you're here looking for Being a Better Writer, there are new installments each Monday on the site, going up each Monday morning. I myself am away in Alaska, and am unable to post anywhere that didn't have a scheduling function to it. So, if you're looking for your weekly dose of Being a Better Writer goodness, then hit that link, because there'll be a new post each Monday, and I'll see you all in a few weeks (around the end of August)!

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Sep
5th
2016

Being a Better Writer: My Personal Editing Process · 5:49pm Sep 5th, 2016

Welcome back! So, very quickly, first the news, nice and quick: There's a Labor Day Sale. You should check it out. Boom, done, on to the next docket: The Dragon Award winners have been announced, and there are some who are very unhappy about it (guess who?). If curious, check that out here.

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May
23rd
2017

Being a Better Writer: The Keystone · 6:29pm May 23rd, 2017

Welcome back readers! As you may have guessed from this posting date, I had another Monday shift at my part time, hence why you’re getting this today (I’m at the moment writing it up during the early evening of the 22nd, so you’re reading this in what would technically be the future). Nothing too unusual there.

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Oct
18th
2016

Being a Better Writer: Connecting with Characters · 8:33pm Oct 18th, 2016

I went out with my buddies to see a movie late last night.

I won't tell you the title, as it isn't important for our purposes right now, but I will tell you that it wasn't that fantastic a film. It was ... I suppose "adequate" is the best word I could use to describe it. But nothing more. The film wasn't exactly grand. It was simply ... a film. A sequence of events, with some action, some attempt at drama, etc.

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Jan
17th
2019

The Most-Read BaBW Post to Date · 8:46pm Jan 17th, 2019

Full musing here.

So, I got curious the other day and started digging through site history on here. Why? Well, I can look at stats here on a yearly basis (but not lifetime, for some odd reason) and started wondering about each year’s most popular Being a Better Writerposts. What, I wondered, was the most popular (read: one with the most views) to date?

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Aug
3rd
2015

Being a Better Writer: Setting Sights Higher · 9:16pm Aug 3rd, 2015

Today's topic, despite its lateness, is one that I feel is important. It's not a long topic, nor do I think it will take much time to discuss, but it's something that needs to be said.

Set your sights higher.

In fairness, that's a good statement ... but it's also pretty vague. So, what am I actually talking about? Let's start with a little backstory.

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Feb
14th
2017

Being a Better Writer: Taxes · 9:23pm Feb 14th, 2017

Fair warning, this is not going to be a happy post. A lot of times I try to deliver good news or positive vibes with my posts, but today? Well, today you're probably going to leave unhappy. You'll see why in a bit.

So, you've been published! Your book is out in the wild, selling copies and making you dough! Success! You're on the way to riches, watching with glee and satisfaction as money slowly funnels into your bank accounts or arrives in publisher's checks.

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May
23rd
2016

Being a Better Writer: Playing Out Your Puzzle Pieces · 8:51pm May 23rd, 2016

Welcome back, readers, to a Monday post that’s actually on a Monday! BaBW is back to its proper day once more! So, to commemorate the occasion, what’s today’s writing topic?

Puzzle pieces.

I can see the curious, questioning looks even from here in the past, so let me explain a little further.

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Feb
22nd
2016

Being a Better Writer: Likable Unlikable Characters · 9:56pm Feb 22nd, 2016

Welcome back to another Being a Better Writer post! I've got a lot to do today (tax season) so I'm diving right into this one as quickly as possible. Today's topic comes from the request post I made several months ago (which I've been slowly digging through ever since), but it's a topic that I've heard brought up before in writing panels as well as in other places. And it's a good question, one every author will either probably consider or run afoul of in the course of their

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Jul
20th
2015

Being a Better Writer: Crafting an Army of Foes · 8:15pm Jul 20th, 2015

Welcome back, readers! It was a long and busy weekend, and as much fun as it was I'm glad to be back to work, fingers to keyboard once more.

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Sep
8th
2017

Classic Being a Better Writer: Plot Problems! · 6:17pm Sep 8th, 2017

Hey hey! I'm almost back to full health, and it's been far too long since a Classic Being a Better Writer post went up on the site!

New? Unsure what those words meant? Let me clarify! Being a Better Writer is a writing feature that's been running for almost four years now, posting every Monday. These posts cover a wide, vast assortment of topics, from subplots to mystery to dialogue, all with the goal of helping writers young and old improve their craft.

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Jun
20th
2017

Being a Better Writer: Ending Type Variety and Planning Ahead · 5:59pm Jun 20th, 2017

This post can also be found at my website, Unusual Things. The superior reading experience is found there.

I apologize for the lateness of this post. Despite not having work at my part-time due to a knee injury yesterday, this post ended up so long (my longest yet) that it wasn’t done in time to post.

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Nov
28th
2016

Being a Better Writer: Working in Important Little Details · 5:09pm Nov 28th, 2016

Right, so a quick one today. I’m actually typing this out at 1 AM. Why? Well, because remember a few weeks back when I had a dentist appointment that shoved Being a Better Writer back a few days? Well, I’ve got another one in ten hours (shudder). Which, given my enjoyment of dentists … You saw the “shudder” back there, didn’t you?

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Mar
21st
2016

Being a Better Writer: The Process of Editing · 9:38pm Mar 21st, 2016

Editing is a curious thing. Almost everyone agrees that it’s something a written work needs to have. But by the same token, it’s one thing that I’ve noticed that, in my time as an author, many people don’t actually agree upon or know much about what it entails. The most accurate consensus I could assemble from what I’ve read and heard from casual writers (not dedicated authors) or the average layperson is that editing is about making a written work better. It’s about fixing the

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Jun
28th
2016

Being a Better Writer: Writing a Mentor · 9:04pm Jun 28th, 2016

Jun
26th
2017

Being a Better Writer: Audience and Shifting Reader Culture · 8:57pm Jun 26th, 2017

This post can also be found at my website, Unusual Things. The superior reading experience is found there.

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Sep
18th
2017

Being a Better Writer: Comedy - Good, Not Cheap · 10:02pm Sep 18th, 2017

Jan
24th
2018

BaBW: Sympathetic Villains Follow-Up · 8:11pm Jan 24th, 2018

Well readers, I made a mistake. Not a massive one, but a mistake nonetheless. Kind of a relieving one, too, since I'd been waiting for this shoe to drop for a while now (I had to screw up with one of these posts eventually). But I did screw up.

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May
8th
2018

Being a Better Writer: Research and Ramifications · 10:38pm May 8th, 2018

Viewing 1 - 20 of 393 results