Why humor in fiction is so essential
By Josh Sippie A spoonful of humor really is the best medicine for your stories. For many, being a serious writer may mean writing deep, dark explorations of the human consciousness. No laughter need apply.The venerable Martin Amis, in his book Inside Story, blames this on “the intellectual glamour of gloom…the idea that sullen pessimism …
10 Tips For Writing Horror From The Masters Of The Genre
By Charlotte Ahlin When you think about it, the horror genre makes no sense at all. We sit and stare at pieces of paper with words on them, imagining monsters that we know are entirely made up… and that somehow makes us so scared that we have to sleep with the lights on? Seriously? Writing …
All the things I wish I’d known as a beginner horror writer
Want to write horror? Read this first. By Tim Waggoner I started writing seriously, with an aim toward making it my career, almost 40 years ago. I explored several genres – science fiction, fantasy, literary, mystery, and horror – before eventually focusing on the latter. It was inevitable, I suppose. Horror was my first love, …
5 Writing Rules That Work No Matter What You’re Writing
by Emily Wenstrom Short stories. Marketing copy. News reporting. Poetry. Business proposals. Literary fiction. Technical writing. Blogs. Advertising. There are a ton of different kinds of writing out there, each strikingly different from others. Worse, each different kind follows different writing rules. And yet, regardless of what kind of writing you do, there are certain foundational writing …
8 Tips for Improving Your Writing Style
Written by the MasterClass staff As you progress in your journey as an author, you may find yourself seeking ways to improve your writing style. Start the journey with these 8 key strategies. It’s not what you say but how you say it. We’ve all heard that line before. In writing, how you say something …
Uppercase and Lowercase
The terms “uppercase” and “lowercase” come from the way in which print shops were organized hundreds of years ago. Individual pieces of metal type were kept in boxes called cases. The smaller letters, which were used most often, were kept in a lower case that was easier to reach.
The Romantic Sub-Plot – 6 Uncommon Romantic Love Interests
Amanda Patterson The Romantic Sub-Plot The most common sub-plot is the love interest. As I said, a love interest does not have to be a romantic interest. It could be a friend, a pet, or a family member that your protagonist loves. Writers use love interests to support protagonists and to thwart them by threatening …
How I Stopped Sabotaging My Writing Goals: Confessions of a Late Bloomer
Despite long-standing aspirations of writing a book, initial successes with short stories and essays, and a healthy career in publishing, Andrea Jarrell published her first book at age 55. But of course, she got through it. Here, she shares her experiences and offers principles for achieving your writing goals. Andrea Jarrell Given that I published …
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