by Martin Detwiler | Mar 23, 2020 | Articles |
When you claim to speak truth, opening your mouth is dangerous. Words are not idle collections of syllables in a conversation or symbols on paper. The pen is mightier than the sword, causing both greater good and greater harm. Wars, racial slavery, and genocide...
by Martin Detwiler | Nov 25, 2019 | Articles |
Have you ever come across a saying that jumped inside your mind, made itself at home, and informed your thinking from that day forward? This happened to me several years ago when I read a quote by Neil Gaiman that rephrased G. K. Chesterton’s words from decades...
by Cindy Green | Oct 28, 2019 | Articles |
Editor’s Note: This is the final installment in our three-part series on Harnessing the Power of Poetry, which explores the insights and techniques novelists can glean from poets. You can read the introduction here and the second post here. When you think of...
by Daeus Lamb | Oct 21, 2019 | Articles |
Every fiction writer has fallen in love with stories and dreams of engaging readers the same way. Few, however, are interested in poetry. In our modern age, this art form fights a losing battle against flashier entertainment. For some, poetry is overly emotional and...
by Martin Detwiler | Oct 7, 2019 | Articles |
For many of us who write speculative fiction, worldbuilding is a key part of the process. I enjoy harmonizing the story world, themes, and characters. When I succeed, the results are rewarding, and I’m equally fascinated by complex cultures in the books I read. Since...
by Brandon Miller | Sep 9, 2019 | Articles |
“Show, don’t tell” is a mantra that writing teachers quote to conceal the challenges of story crafting, and their students regurgitate it to sound insightful—whether they understand the concept or not. It’s lasted through the decades because it defines the difference...
by Martin Detwiler | Jul 22, 2019 | Articles |
Editor’s Note: This is the sequel to another article we published a couple weeks earlier. Click here to view the first installment in this two-part series before reading on. Have you ever set down a book, startled that the author turned your outlook upside down...
by Martin Detwiler | Jun 24, 2019 | Articles |
As I stared at the blank page beneath the title of this article, my mind revisited all the stories that have given me a transformative experience. I love when my heart skips a beat and I pause to process the exhilarating symphony that the words are orchestrating in my...
