Tag Archives: writing tip

How to Wish Writers a Merry Christmas

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If you’re not a writer (or even if you are), you probably know a writer – or at least follow a few on social media. So while you’re putting the finishing touches on your holiday gift-buying (or if you’re one of those ones who hasn’t started yet), I’m here to offer you a few tips on how to give the best gifts to those writers in your life. And some of these gifts won’t even cost you any money! Here are some ideas:

Buy their Books

Okay, this one might cost you a little money. But it’s money well spent. For sometimes less money than you just spent on your peppermint mocha drink, you can download an ebook and get hours of entertainment. It’s not a big deal for you, but trust me, for us writers, selling a book and providing information or enjoyment to one person is a big deal. Continue reading →

Retrofuturism, Historical Fantasy, and Dieselpunk Tech

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 As you may know, I’m currently writing a historical fantasy series. It’s set in the 1920s, and the title character Mrs. Jones has assorted adventures; magic, a touch of the paranormal, and a lot of “futuristic” retro-technology are key elements in her world.

I wrote a post last year giving some tips on how to write convincing technobabble for science fiction stories. This blog post is in a similar vein – but it’s for writing “historical technobabble.”

“Retro-futurism” is technology or other sci-fi elements that might have existed in the past, but didn’t. And so, to offer some tips on how to write retro-futurism or historical sci-fi, I’m sending you over to a guest post I wrote on The Old Shelter blog.

Read on to find out all about Retrofuturism and Dieselpunk: How they Work in a 1920s Setting!

What to Do if You’re not doing NaNoWriMo

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What is NaNoWriMo? In case you didn’t know, it’s National Novel Writing Month. Every November, thousands of crazy eager folks decide to crank out an entire novel in just one month. The goal is to write 50,000 words in 30 days.

It’s a fun challenge, and gets people excited about writing. Even if you don’t “win” it by hitting the 50,000 word mark, it’s still worthwhile to participate to challenge yourself, team up with accountability partners, meet other writers, and try something new.

But what if you’ve decided not to participate? Believe it or not, there are a lot of writers out there who don’t do NaNoWriMo – or at least don’t do it every year. So what can you do this November if you’re not trying to crank out a NaNoWriMo novel? Continue reading →

5 Types of Books to Make You a Better Writer

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This is a re-blogging of a post I wrote a couple of years ago, but I believe the content continues to be valid. It’s said that writers should be readers – which is true – but just what exactly are we supposed to be reading? Here’s my take on books for writers:

A Craft of Writing Book

This is one category that I need to work on more. I’ve read a few books on the craft of writing, but it’s something that even the best authors can always get better at. If you want to get better at writing, then constantly writing is important – but a how-to writing book can help you strengthen your writing strengths, adjust your weaknesses, and point out mistakes you didn’t even realize you were making. Continue reading →

5 Google Tips for Authors

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The Internet is a writer’s friend. It can also be a writer’s enemy, though, if not used properly. Here are some tips that I try to use in my own writing habits to make the almighty Google work for me!

Research Names

Some time ago I got into the habit of researching proper names before I used them in a story, and I believe it’s a good habit to have. I think it’s especially important in contemporary or historical fiction, because it’s very easy to accidentally name your character after someone famous (that you didn’t know about, but that one of your readers most likely will). I also recommend doing it if you want a fictitious town (or road or school) in a real place; like, say, you want your characters to live in small-town Nebraska, but you don’t want to make said small town an actual real place. Go ahead and research cities, towns, and communities in Nebraska so that you don’t accidentally wind up setting your story in a real place that you will then mispresent because you thought it wasn’t real. Continue reading →