How to Research a Fantasy Novel
Whenever I tell writers of non-fiction or modern fiction that I’m writing a fantasy novel, the usual reaction is, “Awesome. You get to make everything up. No research for you!”… Read more »
Tag: research
Libraries Are Still the Best Problem Solvers
Despite being a big fan of the internet and all its conveniences, I still turn to libraries when I need to solve a problem. Whether it’s learning how to do… Read more »
How to Fail as a Writer. Guaranteed.
People often ask me how to succeed as a writer. That’s actually a difficult question to answer because the road to “success” tends to be different for everyone. Plus, success… Read more »
Research First, or As You Go Along?
Whether you write non-fiction or fiction, research is (or it had better be) a part of your process. Even if you’re “writing what you know,” you still need to supplement… Read more »
Watch Your Technology Chronology!
I just finished an interesting book called Marlena. It was a good story about a woman in her 30’s who looks back on events of her fifteenth year. It’s typical coming… Read more »
Turning Research Into Play
When you say the word “Research” to many writers (particularly writers of fiction), you’ll get a moan or an eye roll. For many, research is the least pleasant part of… Read more »
The Joys and Sorrows of Writing Everything
I’ve been writing in one form or another my entire working life and there’s very little that I haven’t tried. First, it was marketing materials and grants. Then I transitioned… Read more »
So, You Want to Be a Writer
People often ask me, “How do I become a writer? What education do I need? How do I get experience?” My answer is always this: There are many paths to… Read more »
Go Beyond Online Research
It’s great that we live in an age where information is just a couple of mouse clicks away. Gone are the days when we had to slog through the stacks… Read more »
Avoiding The Dreaded “Mary Sue”
One of the hardest things about writing fiction is creating characters that are believable. Too many writers create characters that are just like themselves. While this seems like a way… Read more »