I mentioned in a blog post recently that I was once again writing by the seat of my pants. That worked for about 35 pages of single-spaced text (and by worked, I mean that I didn’t get too stuck and could keep moving the story forward). But, there came a point where I got stuck. … More So, pantsing didn’t work—bring on the outline!
Whenever I plan out a scene, whether it be for my novel, a short story, a role-play, or any other form of creative writing, I feel as if I am watching a movie in my mind’s eye. I see my characters—their facial expressions, their body language—and I can hear their voices. I see camera angles, … More Do you see your story as a movie in your head?
While waiting on some feedback from some friends of mine, I tried a few other projects here and there, but nothing seemed to really stick. So, I’ve decided to dive face-first into the sequel. While the first novel was something I had planned out extensively, having worked on it in various forms for several years, … More So, I’m writing by the seat of my pants again
I got asked the question in the title by a friend of mine a few days ago. At the time, I told him that there was no way to really avoid writer’s block, only a way to muscle yourself through it. When writer’s block does strike, I write through it, and I told my friend … More How do you avoid writer’s block?
I’ve been on vacation this week, so the following is just a quick post to get myself back in the habit of blogging. Expect something fuller next week. I’ve made no secret that I finished draft four of my novel a short time ago. It’s been very exciting for me, not only to complete a … More Waiting for Edits
I’ve made no secret that my novel, Carmae, is intended to be the first book of a trilogy. I have vague ideas in my mind of what books two and three will look like, but I’ve always told myself to save those thoughts for later. I should focus on writing the first book, and once … More When is it appropriate to work on a sequel?
Do any other authors do this? When I’m about to start a new project, I’ve found it incredibly helpful to take a little time and interview my characters. I will literally open a blank document, and just start asking my characters questions. Sometimes I write it as a little scene between my character and a … More Interviewing my characters
From a young age, I had been fascinated by stories. From sitting in front of my mother as she read me a Darkwing Duck picture book for the hundredth time, to watching movies and playing video games, I could always get lost in a narrative. When I was growing up, I was exposed to the … More The First Time I Realized that Stories Don’t Always Have Happy Endings
I got myself hooked on Robin Hobb’s work with the Farseer trilogy, a series of books focusing on the land of the Six Duchies and one assassin attempting to navigate the violent landscape spread before him. The books had a strong focus on character development and world-building, with action generally quick or glossed over. Long … More Quick Book Review: The Liveship Traders Trilogy
I’d like to begin with a quote from C.S. Lewis: “Critics who treat ‘adult’ as a term of approval, instead of as a merely descriptive term, cannot be adult themselves. To be concerned about being grown up, to admire the grown up because it is grown up, to blush at the suspicion of being childish; … More On being ‘childish’
Derek Pietras 