Tag Archives: writing tips

Writing-Tip Wednesday: The Scary New Realities of Publishing

Posted on April 15, 2020 by dbjackson

Really, though, this is about more than the immediate economic and health crises. Publishing has been in trouble for some time now – falling profits, fewer opportunities for writers and their books, less support for those writers who do land … Continue reading →

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Writing-Tip Wednesday: Dialogue, part II — Attribution

Posted on April 8, 2020 by dbjackson

Last week’s Writing-Tip Wednesday post began a two part series on dialogue with some advice on the writing of the actual “spoken” words we put in the mouths of our characters. Today, I follow that up with a discussion of … Continue reading →

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Writing-Tip Wednesday: Dialogue, Part I

Posted on April 1, 2020 by dbjackson

I love writing dialogue, in part because I love reading dialogue. I believe that people are natural eavesdroppers. We like to listen in on other people’s conversations. That’s what reading dialogue is all about – it is one of the … Continue reading →

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Writing Tip Wednesday: Maps, Worldbuilding, and the Creation of Story

Posted on March 25, 2020 by dbjackson

So you’re trapped in your home with too much time and too little to do. The world around you has gone to hell, and you’re fed up. Sound familiar? Yeah, thought so. So why not take the opportunity to create … Continue reading →

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Writing-Tip Wednesday: Self-Editing Techniques

Posted on February 12, 2020 by dbjackson

We know the shapes of our narratives, and we also know our own voice and style. So our stories are likely to make sense to us, regardless of whether they make sense to others. On Monday, I wrote about my … Continue reading →

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Monday Musings: Overcoming Distraction and Getting Started

Posted on January 27, 2020 by dbjackson

The problem isn’t one of desire – I want to work, I want to be productive. Rather, the problem is one of inertia. A body – or in this case a creative mind – at rest will remain at rest; … Continue reading →

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Flash Writing Tips: Three Rules I Follow When Creating Magic

Posted on May 4, 2012 by dbjackson

This post is about creating magic.  Literally.  More to the point, it’s about creating a viable magic system for your fantasy story or novel.  A couple of months back I wrote about worldbuilding and might have alluded briefly to magic … Continue reading →

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Flash Writing Tip: Research — How Much Is Enough?

Posted on April 26, 2012 by dbjackson

Researching the Thieftaker books and stories has been a great deal of fun.  Lots of work, yes, but incredibly interesting and gratifying.  And weaving that research into the text of the books has been fun, too.  There is something incredibly … Continue reading →

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Writing Exercise: Character and Voice

Posted on April 19, 2012 by dbjackson

Developing our writing voice for a story or a character can be incredibly difficult; it can also be quite rewarding when we get it right.  The key for me is stepping out of “myself” and forcing myself into the psyche … Continue reading →

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The Great Debate: Plotting Versus Pantsing

Posted on April 17, 2012 by dbjackson

No doubt you’ve heard this discussion before.  Some writers rely on advanced plotting when writing their books.  They outline in advance of actually writing the book, sometimes plot point by plot point, sometimes chapter by chapter, sometimes even line by … Continue reading →

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