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Don’t Fear the Reaper
It used to be that one of the hardest conversations you could have with an author is the conversation where you try to convince them to kill a character. Because no one used to want to kill characters!...
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Fight Scenes to Die For
You can always tell when someone’s just read a good fight scene. No matter how small, shy, or sweet he or she may be, the moment the book snaps shut, there’s a twinkle in their eyes and a fierceness to...
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Don’t Forget to Twist the Knife
You remember the first time you were betrayed. At first, it took you a moment to realize what had happened. That that was something people did to one another. And then, there was this great sucking...
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The Ultimate Mary Sue
When I first starting writing seriously (going through my college-ruled notebooks with a vengeance), my main character was exactly who I wanted to be when I grew up. Beautiful, talented, sixteen, an...
View ArticleThere’s Just Something About First Drafts
Amazon has been an amazing experience—I’ve learned more about marketing and sales and data analysis than I could any other way, and it has greatly informed my view of the publishing business. But I’ve...
View ArticleSo, You Want to Be a Writer
Kids—and parents of kids—often ask me what they can do to become a writer. I have my answers, involving education, community, and lots and lots of practice. Which are certainly all very important, and...
View ArticleIn Support of Sucking
There is a point in doing things at times for exacting quality, and at times for endurance. They have different purposes. Sometimes, it’s good to do ten perfect push-ups, nice and slow. And sometimes,...
View ArticleWriters Don’t Cry Is Going to GenCon!
I am pleased to announce that, along with a truly impressive roster of people, I’ve been named a 2012 GenCon Industry Insider Guest of Honor! Fancy title, but what does this mean, you ask? This means...
View ArticleWhat I Mean By “Consider Your Audience”
I remember when I first had to learn how to write for an audience. It was a writing class which shall go unnamed, and I got my first less-than-spectacular grade on an essay. I was floored. I had just...
View ArticleWriters Don’t Cry Is Going to PAX Prime!
I’m thrilled to announce that Writers Don’t Cry will be at PAX Prime this year! I’m doing three panels—come by to say hi and check it out! 2PM Saturday (9/1): Making Magic Work: Designing Magic Systems...
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