I've been blogging for three-quarters of a year now, hoping to encourage others interested in writing by providing insights to the craft,...

During this pandemic and the shut-down of many businesses, my energy-sector employer has a nifty set-up allowing us to work from home...

They say art is never truly finished, it is only ever abandoned. Well, that's a lot better than watching the art do the abandoning. I...

One writing principle many writers prefer is this: Before starting, know your ending. This structural approach captures the essence of...

I define a "gap" as the wonderful opening that develops between experience and expectation, the rift that tears open when actuality pulls...

If a picture says a thousand words, than a doodle says about a hundred. Doodling helps me think. Often when I'm trying to crack a story,...

One of my all-time favourite writers, Kurt Vonnegut Jr., claimed that every character should want something, even if it's just a glass of...

A few words to live by, and to write by: The vast majority of people who say they want to write a novel never complete their first draft....

In James Michener's NASA-era epic novel "Space", a rocket scientist argues with a project manager that they already have the know-how and...

I'm a big fan of lists. Quick-hit summaries that I can refer to when seeking to spark my imagination, add variety or mix things up, or...

Always good for a chuckle is the one about the bride preparing for her wedding day. She'll walk down the aisle, join the groom at the...

Like the body needs blood flowing through its veins, so too does a story need conflict pulsing through its narrative. A body without...

Starting out, I used to ask myself the wrong question: "What do I want to do today?" Answers included going to the movies, dining out...

Was curious this morning about a nasty wound a character suffers, what it would look like, what it would feel like. Short of injuring...