Podcast
I call my podcast Writing Muse and Writing Mentor, because sometimes I talk about what inspires writers, and sometimes I give practical tips.
4 Characteristics of Compelling Characters (Writing Muse & Writing Mentor)
One of the most fundamental tasks of any novelist is to make the reader care about the characters. To this end, I offer four characteristics of compelling characters. “Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water.” (Kurt Vonnegut)
What do your characters need?
The Evolution of the Mystery Genre (Writing Muse & Writing Mentor)
Chesterton seems to have cared far less for genre standards than detective fiction writers before him, writing stories and creating a character that denies one basic, traditional assumption of the genre: the material world is all that exists. Once his readers let go of this premise, Chesterton opens the genre to a host of story and theme possibilities.
For instance, where Holmes solves paradoxical crimes by denying false clues, Father Brown uses a spiritual understanding of paradox to solve crimes. Where formerly one-dimensional secondary characters abound, Chesterton gives them purpose by using them to spread philosophical messages.
Being Inspired by a Writing Tradition (Writing Muse)
“The secret is to follow the advice the masters give you in their works while doing something different in yours.” (Edgar Degas)
The Mystery of Creativity (Writing Muse)
Much of being creative is mysterious. In fact, creativity is in a sense a mystery religion! And humans by their nature want everything to be clear and understandable. But touching our innermost creativity means not just connecting with mystery, but also settling into it.