The first expensive book I can remember owning was a collection of world mythology. The pages were glossy, weighty, and every page had an elaborate illustration. The hardcover book felt hefty, and every time I turned a page, I did so with care. My other books had been mass market paperbacks or hand-me-downs, with well-loved […]
Despite rumors to the contrary, detective fiction is alive and well. In a world that often seems out of control, people seek order wherever it may be available. Procedural stories—no matter if they feature amateur sleuths, police officers, or private investigators—offer a way to find that order, a sense of completeness often missing from daily […]
In this week’s round up brought to us by Script magazine, learn about the new horizon of Protopian storytelling and the roles writers have in shaping our future. Plus, “Agatha All Along” shares with Script about her writing process and how to balance competing tones, The Featherweight filmmakers give insight to their journey in making […]
Stacy Sivinski was raised in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia and now is a writing and literature professor in the Midwest. She holds a PhD in English from the University of Notre Dame with a specialty in sensory studies and 19th-century women’s writing. In her fiction, Stacy focuses on themes of sisterhood, self-discovery, and magic. […]
The Third Act begins with another life-changing plot point. More than any preceding it, this plot point sets the protagonist’s feet on the path toward the final conflict in the Climax. From here, your clattering dominoes form a straight line as your protagonist hurtles toward an inevitable confrontation with the antagonistic force. Because the entire […]
By: Bruce Levine Ideologic Dogma Ideologic dogmaTyped into a teleprompterRegurgitated by pundits Woven into conversations Taken as gospel according to the oracle of the day As long as it fits within the ideology Fiction parading as fact Reflected in the eye of the believer Masquerading as justification of the cause Defying the non-believer to be […]
Publishing is a high-stress world–not just for those who work at a publishing house but also for authors, agents, and free-lancers of all stripes. It’s an odd mix of all the ordinary business aspects of finances, project management, and sales, plus the creative arts. Keeping a healthy balance between the two is tough. Writers experience […]
I think I learned to love the library for two reasons: My mama loved to read. And we didn’t have air conditioning. (Why Readers Love a Southern Setting in Fiction.) In the hot summers in north Georgia, we spent a lot of hours at the library where it was air conditioned and my mama would […]
While seated in a church recreation room in Southern California after a memorial for one of my mother’s many brothers, an aunt shocked me with the revelation that my grandfather had taken her and five of her siblings to an orphanage, having taken them away from my grandmother when her actions were untoward. Then came […]
There are only a few weeks left to register for this year’s annual conference! Writer’s Digest Annual Conference offers everything you need to advance your writing career creatively and professionally. Gain invaluable tips to improve your craft, explore publishing options and learn how to establish a sustainable career—all while being inspired by successful authors and […]
By: James Aitchison As the tree needstime to grow, sotoo the soul.Unhurried wisdom,stepping softly,seeking the infinite.Nothing springs fromignorance;lives scattered tothe winds have noroots.In quiet soil,the soul flourishes.
By James Aitchison In London, just five miles east of Buckingham Palace, a mysterious underground language has evolved. An English language wherein words such as “frog”, “soldiers”, “Aristotle”, “whistle” and “butchers” do not mean what they are supposed to mean! A twenty-minute bus ride from the palace will bring you to this district where a […]
