1. Tell the truth. "Now comes the big question: What are you going to write about? And the equally big answer: Anything you damn well want. Anything at all... as long as you tell the truth... Write what you like, then imbue it with life and make it unique by blending in your own personal … Continue reading Stephen King – 8 Writing Strategies

1. It won’t be your first novel. Go ahead, list all the examples of authors who debuted with their first novel. Yep, that’s quite the list. Now put them on the scales of justice and compare them to all the authors who did not. Clunk goes the weight to one side. It’s a desire we … Continue reading Takes Time and More

A Last King I smelled old. That old man smell, not quite living, not quite dead. I can’t place it, it’s not like any other smell. I hope I don’t smell like that, like dingy grey old clothes that have been stored away, unused for years. Yet I felt in the presence of a great … Continue reading Chater 80 – A Last King

1. Craft your premise. Your premise is the basic idea for your story. But it’s not enough to just have an idea. “Guy saves girl in an intergalactic setting” is a premise, but it’s also far too vague to offer much solid story guidance. This is why your outline needs to begin with a tightly … Continue reading Seven Steps to Outlining

Oddi There is power in words, read or spoken. Sometimes just words you think of. Words like ‘loss’, ‘death’, ‘love’, ‘father’. Sturla was good with his use of words, in making arguments and convincing others of the right and logic in his case. He won his case against the priest Solvason, boasted, gloated, and then … Continue reading Chapter 79 – Oddi