Preparing to Kill Your Darlings: 4 Questions to Ask Yourself

Well, it’s time to kill a character, you say. Wait! Stop! First, identify your reasons. If you’re killing simply because you’re frantic for some impact or looking for a way to get your readers to respond to your story emotionally (just ’cause you do, usually doesn’t mean they will), or if you’ve hit writer’s block…

Psychology, People, and Personalities in Writing

Psychology has always been a fascinating subject of study and scrutiny for me. Only last week I identified the source of frustration I constantly felt about people: I just want to understand them. What goes in each of their little minds that causes them to do, say, act, feel? What thoughts and emotions and beliefs…

Don’t Write What You Know

I’m sure a lot of you have heard the quote “Write what you know.” I believe Mark Twain originally said it. Well, I hate to go against a well known saying by a prestigious author, but I don’t think it’s a quote writers should live by, even though I believe it does make sense to some…