Outlines and Writer’s Block

23 Aug

Left to my own devices, I tend to be a by-the-seat-of-my-pants sort of writer. More often than not, this gets me into trouble–not only do I end up meandering all over the place, it’s hard to finish things, and it makes writer’s block a true dead end. When I stalled out on my current novel project, I read a book …

Information through Scenes

22 Aug

I don’t care what they’ve told you–you can’t show everything. Some things you need to tell. Exposition is necessary, especially for spec-fic writers who can’t rely on their readers to already be familiar with the story’s setting. The trouble for me comes when I’m trying to figure out what information is necessary, and how to communicate it without breaking the …