Who was the bravest character on Buffy The Vampire Slayer? Buffy’s a good guess. She faced certain death every season. She was also the hero. Brave. Super-powered. Chosen. But her bravery was almost a given. Handed down along with her super strength and kung-fu skills. Bravery for her wasn’t unremarkable, per se. But it was […]
The Theory Behind These Two Bestselling Novels Will Inspire Your Next Plot Twist
It’s a scary thought, isn’t it? Imagine that everything you thought you knew, every thought you ever had, didn’t originate from you. What if someone or something else prescripted your thinking? That’s the idea behind Whorf’s hypothesis. And it’s had a powerful influence on linguistics and psychology. But more important for writers, it’s a gold […]
Umlaut: Definition and Examples for Writers
Don’t get me wrong. I love the English language. I’m a writer after all. And language is my passion. But all languages are rich with their own fun quirks. German is one of those. That orderly, logical, complex and lovely language. One little part is especially delectable. The umlaut. What’s an umlaut? Glad you asked! […]
Quit Your Job And Write Full Time: The New Social Movement That Reduces Living Costs for Writers
Looking for a way to quit your job and write full time? The tiny house movement may be the key. Bloggers and freelance writers across the US are turning to minimalism and its sister movement, tiny houses. They’re embracing this not-so-new concept of tiny life. Why? It’s freedom. It’s fun. And it quiets a lot of the […]
How Not To Write: The Style Mistake Most Bloggers Make
Do you agree with this? Blog posts aren’t college essays. They aren’t news features or billboard signs or technical manuals. Blogging has its own style. Unlike academic essays, blog posts are entertainment. Okay, they aren’t purely entertainment. They’re also chock full of information. You can find a character creation guide for your story, for example. […]