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Discovery Writing vs Outlining: Is One Better?
Have you heard of pantsing? No, not the physical act of taking off your pants, but rather a writing technique known as “pantsing.” I and many other authors prefer to call it discovery writing. Discovery writing is a popular approach for some creative writers who prefer to let their imagination flow freely, without the constraints of an outline. This writing technique can be especially effective for certain types of writers, who thrive on the excitement of discovering their story as they go. But it often gets a bad rap as being the “wrong way” to write. I bring up that last point because outlining is pretty straightforward. It’s easy to…
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Speculative Fiction: An Exploration of a Literary Genre
Speculative fiction is a genre of fiction that explores and expands upon worlds beyond our reality. It is a genre that combines elements of science fiction, fantasy, and sometimes horror to create an alternate reality that is believable, but not necessarily real. This genre has a rich history, with roots in myths and legends, and has become a staple of modern literature. At its core, speculative fiction asks the question, “What if?” It takes the familiar elements of our world and twists them in ways that challenge our perceptions of reality and challenge our understanding of the world around us. It can be a way to escape reality, but it…
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Low Fantasy: A Genre That Goes Beyond Magic and Dragons
Low fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy that focuses on grounded, realistic stories set in a fictional world that often lacks the grandeur and spectacle of traditional high fantasy. Despite this, low fantasy can still offer rich, thought-provoking tales that challenge our perceptions of the world. The main characteristic that sets low fantasy apart from high fantasy is its minimal use of magic and mythical creatures. Instead, low fantasy is driven by human motivations, relationships, and the consequences of choices made by characters. The world itself is often a character in a low fantasy story, with a rich, detailed setting that is both believable and potentially fantastical. However, it is…
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Exploring Genre: Fantasy Fiction
Fantasy fiction is easily one of the most popular forms of genre fiction, falling into the top five of sales year after year. It’s also a style of storytelling that has become increasingly popular in visual storytelling (television and movies) with each passing decade. I wrote an article that, in part, tells some of the history of the genre here, along with how my own books fit into the large and multi-faceted genre. Of all the genres in the world of literature, fantasy fiction is one genre that gets dismissed the most quickly by readers who consider themselves to be serious, intelligent, and discerning. Or put another way, “too pragmatic” to…
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Exploring Genre: Historical Fiction
My last post explained why you should love reading along with all the benefits that come from reading, so I thought it might be worth exploring the many genres of fiction. (You’re on your own for non-fiction.) Sometimes even readers need a push to try things they haven’t tried before, and new readers might be intimidated by what kinds of books are even out there. There are relatively few kinds of stories in the world in terms of story structure, but an infinitesimal number of variations of stories can come out of those structures. Authors who study story structure usually specialize in specific types of structures. Readers will recognize these…
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Notes to Readers: Just One Thing
I interact daily with a lot of writers all around the world. And like any other career, we talk shop. We geek out over grammar and prose, over how to choose the right title or book cover, how to find resources, how to develop unforgettable characters, and how to write a jaw dropping plot twist. But like any other career, writers also bemoan (do writers bemoan? Yes, sadly, we do) misunderstandings in our chosen discipline. Things people on the receiving end of our art think they know about what we do and how we go about doing what we do. So I asked my writer friends to help me with…
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“Trad publishing is about sales. If we’re lucky, those books are also good.”
I’ve learned a lot about publishing since I started my book writing journey in 2011. And one of the most mind-blowing things I’ve learned is that I had a very romantic idea of what publishing is. The reality of course, couldn’t be farther from romantic. When I came across this series of tweets by Hannah Fergesen, a literary agent, I knew I had to share it with my small circle of readers and author friends. Below you will find her tweets, word for word as she tweeted them, only edited for formatting. When you’ve finished reading, let me know your thoughts in the comment section at the very bottom of…
