Tag: writing advice

My thoughts on the TikTok ban

Bonus post because I’m sad.

I didn’t talk about this for a while because, if we’re being honest, I didn’t think it would happen. And, if I’m being honest, it wasn’t hugely on my radar until this past week. The darling husband is still in rehab from his stroke. LA is on fire and that has me scared in a deep extensential way that makes me fear for the future of our planet. The worst president in the history of America is seating his fat ass behind the honored Resolute Desk on the same day we honor one of the best men America has ever known.

Then, there’s the fact that I don’t use the TikTok. I’m 38, I use Instagram like an adult. I don’t post there or consume the content. I’ve never once installed or looked at the app. The only time I see any content from TikTok is if the iconic Loey Lane is doing a video about it.

So, why do I care? Because, despite everything I just said, I care deeply. And I wish to God that it wasn’t happening.

To start, so many amazing creators I love got started on TikTok. And I will be honest, I didn’t realize how many until they all started posting about how this app gave them their start. Jordan and McKay started on TikTok. A lot of progressive pastors I admire started there. B Mo The Prince, Professor Neil and Pastor Sarah, just to name a very few. While they eventually transitioned onto other platforms, they got started on TikTok. And I wouldn’t get to enjoy their content if they hadn’t started there.

I’m glad that these amazing creators are not going away. I hope that if you have content creators you love on TikTok you follow them onto other platforms. But the truth is that not everyone who follows someone on one platform is going to follow them on other platforms. So yes, every creator involved in TikTok is going to have to rebuild. They’re going to lose money in an economy that is already struggling. And while I don’t create that sort of content, I am still a content creator. I don’t want any content creator to suffer.

I have two pieces of advice for content creators of any sort. Writers, comedians, activists, video essayists. Do not put your hopes in one app. Don’t wait until your app of choice is going away before you encourage your followers to follow you on other platforms. Do it now.

Create for multiple platforms if you can at all. I write blog posts here. I review horror content on Haunted MTL. I post silly pictures of the pets and my life and microfiction on Instagram and Threads. I also get mouthy and political on Threads. I post and repost writing and reading content on Pinterest. And, of course, my books are available on multiple platforms. (Woven is going wide soon. Stay tuned.) If one of these platforms goes down, I can rely on others until I find an alternative. Remember, I used to post a lot on Twitter and Facebook. When those turned to Hell, I left. I didn’t lose that many followers.

Platforms come and go. Do not wait to diversify where your people can find you.

Speaking of apps coming and going, do not think that your favorite platform is safe. Because it’s not. That’s the scariest thing about this incident. The reasons why TikTok was banned were nebulous at best. And if they took it down, they can take any app down.

Any site down, if I’m being honest. I worry that this has opened the floodgates. I mean, I don’t know if anyone would want to ban Pinterest, as it’s about as dangerous as your sweet auntie who collects ceramic birds. But I didn’t think the silly dancing app was all that dangerous either.

That isn’t the only way an app can die. They can get taken over by terrible and dangerous people. They can become so full of toxicity that anything beautiful or worthy gets choked out. I’m concerned about some things I’m hearing about Meta, so Threads and Instagram might be next to go.

Everything we lose gives space for something new to grow. New apps will come to take the place of TikTok and hopefully give new creatives a place to find their tribe. I want that for them. I want creatives who just lost their platforms to find their people all over again. And I don’t want anyone to take this lightly. Losing the TikTok platform is a blow to creatives, some of which will not recover. It’s a blow to freedom of speech and freedom of creativity. And I dearly hope that I’m wrong when I see this as just the first of many platform losses.

Protect your art, my friends. Vote every election. Diversify your platform. And above all, do not stop creating. Do not stop posting comedy skits, creepy horror content, microfiction, progressive Bible knowledge, new music, book reviews, pictures of your pets, cleaning tips, and witchy aesthetic content. Don’t stop putting your good stuff out there.

We need it.

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New Year, pretty much same me

I don’t believe in New Year’s resolutions. I think they set up an unrealistic expectation that we’re going to become completly different people and somehow be able to make different health and productivity decisions just because we’ve just cracked open a new planner.

This isn’t to say that I don’t believe we can make changes in our lives. I think we’re all imperfect works in progress and we can choose something different for ourselves every day. I’m just saying we try to do too much too fast and at an arbitrary time. You can start something new any day. For instance, I’m already 25 days into a Dulingo streak.

What I do believe in is setting SMART goals at the start of the year. Just in case you don’t remember what that acronym stands for, it’s a goal that is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevent, and Time Bound.

I do have some slightly ambitious writing goals this year. But I should let you know off the bat that there will be no major launches. At some point Woven will be going wide, so you don’t have to rely on Amazon to get it. But other than that, you will see no novel launches from me in 2025.

I did launch four books in 2024, after all.

My writing goals for 2025 are pretty simple.

– I want to officially join SFWA.

– I want to join another local writing guild.

– I want to write the rough draft and second draft of Aurora, the final Station 86 book.

– I want to write the third and fourth drafts of a secret novel that I’m hoping to tell you more about later.

– Finally, I do want to launch Woven on all platforms.

That sounds like a lot, and maybe it is. But I think I can reasonably do all of those things. And being reasonable with my goals this year was very important.

Many of you, like me, have a word of the year. My word for 2025 is Heal. I decided on this word in early November. I realized that I’ve been putting off dealing with some heavy emotional stuff. I’m also suffering from burnout, and not taking care of my health. I needed to dedicate some time, yes a whole year, to healing myself first.

Then, on December 8th, my husband had a stroke. I don’t just mean a little stroke. I mean a brain bleed stroke. And he’s still in the hospital.

I’m sharing this for two reasons. One, if you see less of me around you know why. I’m not planning on taking any time off, but you never know. And two, to remind you of what I said in the beginning.

January first is a nice day to make changes. But so are the other 364 days of the year. Just because everyone else is making these grand plans right now doesn’t mean you have to if now isn’t the time for that shit.

You can decide next week that you want to start working out and just do it. You can decide in April that you want to start drawing and just do it. You can decide today, right now, that you want to start writing a novel, and just do it.

Or you can decide that what you’re going to do is just your best. And you know what? That’s valid too. Just do that.

However, if you’re stuck on this and you want to make some sort of positive change, may I suggest drinking more water? You’re probably dehydrated.

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Shared elements of fantasy and horror

Fantasy is scary. Fantasy is the closest genre to horror, and the one that blends most naturally with it. I believe this with my whole heart, as a speculative fiction writer. I also believe that the best of each genre borrows heavily from the other.

Some of the best horror I’ve read this year (which we’ll discuss next week) have strong fantasy elements. My best fantasy work, Woven, has strong horror elements. My best horror work, Quiet Apocalypse, has strong fantasy elements.

I think this is because some of the most often-used elements of each genre are the same. And it is those elements that I want to talk about today. Each one is a coin with two faces. We’re going to talk about how each of those faces can look.

The fey

Fairy, fair folk, the good neighbors. As a practicing witch, I won’t say anything bad about the fey. For reasons that should be perfectly obvious.

Fairies are most often seen in fantasy. They’re depicted as beautiful, cheerful dancing creatures alight on gossamer wings who like to play light-spirited games on people. They love children, honey, milk and dogs. Especially corgies.

In horror, they are often still small-winged beings. But their hands become a little longer. Their teeth and fingernails become a little sharper. Their songs are just as alluring. But are most likely going to trap you in a brightly colored world you will never escape from, in which you might become a feast or simply dance until you die. Their games and pranks become less joyful and more sinister. They love children, so much that they might steal yours away and leave a changeling in their place.

Cryptids

We all love fantasy creatures. Griffins and gargoyles. Dragons, drakes, sasquatches and any number of winged animals. There are countless joyful stories of experiencing these creatures who come into our dull human lives and spread magic just by existing.

But cryptids have a darker side. Mothman, the Dover Devil, chupacabras, yetis, and flesh pedestrians. Also, giant rats. There always seem to be a few giant rats wandering around in both genres.

Humans have forever seen creatures that no one else has seen, that may or may not have been real. These sightings have either filled us with wonder or terror, depending on the creature in question. And while those stories are often laughed off, or simply considered works of fiction, there’s something a little frightening to consider.

We thought narwhals, platypi, gorillas, and giant squids were cryptids, too. Until we didn’t.

Magic

Magic is a mainstay of fantasy. I love magic. A wave of a wand or some well-chosen Latin and the monster is defeated, the famine is over, the bitter wound is healed and the house is cleaned. I especially love tricky magic, that requires skill and knowledge. Learning an incantation, knowing the herbs and words to say. It’s like catnip for me.

But magic is a tool. It can be used to heal, create abundance, bring order, and protect. It can also be used to bring illness, famine, chaos and death. A curse can wrap itself around someone’s neck and force them to watch everything they love melt away in front of their eyes. A spell can let lose a demon or darkness. Magic can make someone bleed.

Family loss

Why do so many heroes lose their parents or parental figures? This is something I plan to explore in a blog post at some point.

Losing a parent is something most of us will experience. Unless we die first, that is. It is one of the great tragedies of our lives that the people who love us the most, the ones who love us unconditionally from before we’re even born will someday leave us.

In fantasy, this is a scar that the hero carries with them. Because they felt alone, they wanted to protect others from feeling that way. Or, their parents died saving them. This is a noble and honorable weight they bear.

In horror, things shake out a bit differently. In my opinion, it’s more honest. Losing someone you love hurts. It can make you stronger, but it can also make you weaker. It can lead to PTSD. It can take away any feeling of comfort or safety you have. Especially if you lose your parents young, you tend to feel like the world is a very dark place. Some people don’t rise to that occasion. Some just sink into this dark world. Or, they become the darkness themselves.

War

War is a big thing in the fantasy genre. An epic battle between two armies, one full of goodness and light and one full of monsters. We see elves and orcs facing off. Demons and angels. Armies of light and goodness hold back armies of darkness from destroying innocent people.

But war isn’t like that in the real world, and it sure isn’t like that in horror. Real war, horror war, reminds us that nothing is ever black and white, cut and dry. There is no such thing as a pure army. And in war, even if someone has the best intentions, dark and terrible things happen.

Young men and women, little more than teenagers, die. They die on blood-soaked grounds, adding their own blood to the mass. They die screaming for help that cannot come. They burn and bleed after causing other people they will never know to burn and bleed. They starve, get sick, get injured, get broken. Even those who come home physically whole are often broken inside. I’ve lost people to that breaking.

War is hell. There’s a reason so many ghost stories are about fallen soldiers. And while the individual people who fight and die are often noble, including those members of my bloodline who have done so, the people making the decisions at the top are all too often not. Anywhere you look in war, you can find a horror story.

I hope this post has given you something to think about, especially if you are a horror or fantasy writer. And I’d love to hear from you! Do you write a blend of horror and fantasy? Leave links to your stories below.

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The books that inspired me to write Woven

Writers are readers first. I have been honored to know and befriend many writers, and I have never met one who didn’t have a passion for books. Ask any of us about what we’re reading, or what our favorite books from childhood are, and watch our faces light up.

(I am currently reading Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury. Tis the season.)

What we read shapes what we write. Because of course, we want to tell the sort of stories that we love to read.

There are exceptions, of course. I love some good historical fiction, memoirs and biographies of interesting people. But I have no desire to write one of those.

As a child, I loved fantasy, science fiction and horror. As an adult, that’s what I write. And there are three series in particular that inspired my fantasy series, Woven.

Likely, you’ve read these before. If you have, maybe you can see the inspiration already. If you haven’t read them, I cannot recommend them enough. Here now are the three series, what they taught me, and how they inspired me to write Woven.

Dragon Riders of Pern taught me to love dragons and see a place for myself in writing fantasy.

This might surprise you, but Dragon Riders of Pern was my first introduction to dragons. It shouldn’t surprise you, because this introduction took place when I was about five, being read to by my aunt. I immediately fell in love with the relationships between humans and dragons. And when I discovered dragons who were just as smart, if not smarter, than humans in the film Dragonheart, I was hooked.

Dragon Riders of Pern was also the first time I remember seeing a woman’s name on the cover of a book. At least, a fantasy book. I was fully aware that The Babysitter’s Club and Sweet Vally High were written by women. And I was already hooked on Ramona. I mean no offense to Francine Pascal, Ann M. Martin, and certainly not Beverly Cleary. They wrote great books that I loved as a child. But they always wrote about, well, children and teenagers. They wrote about the real world, and all the problems girls and boys got into. The people who wrote about robots and dragons and ghosts were, well, men. Stephen King, J.R Tolkien, R.L Stine, C.S Lewis. I loved them, but I had a hard time seeing myself among them. Anne McCaffrey showed me that I could belong in that world first.

Chronicles of Narnia taught me to write about faith.

Speaking of C.S. Lewis, I love him. I love the Chronicles of Narnia.

The story is fantastic, I cannot stress this enough. But it’s also faith-affirming.

Gently. And that is the important part here.

Chronicles of Narnia is not judgemental. It’s not the Left Behind series. It’s not one of the many books I read as an LDS child. It is a gentle story that teaches real morals about being a good person.

While Woven doesn’t have a strong religious component, it is a little bit about faith. Lenore specifically learns about celebrating your faith when it doesn’t celebrate you. She deconstructs and removes herself from the Church, but not the Creator.

Gee, wonder why I wrote about that.

Chronicles of Narnia gave me the inspiration to write about faith, as I experienced it, without worrying that I was going to be judgemental towards others.

Circle of Magic taught me to write about tactile magic

Finally, Tamora Pierce’s Circle of Magic was the biggest inspiration for Woven.

Pierce once said that she was inspired by her mother and sisters doing handcrafts. She saw magic in creating cloth from string. This is something I agree with. I knit and crochet, and that’s always felt like a very attainable magic.

Great, grand magic is loads of fun. It’s fun to read about people who wave a sword and bring lighting down from the sky. So I wrote that. But it’s also somehow comforting to imagine magic coming from such a simple act and powerful act.

Now it’s your turn. What books inspired your current WIP? Let us know in the comments.

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Ten ways to fill your creative cup

I write most days. Not every day, because I live in a capitalist society and I have to have a job. But I try to get some writing in most days.

I don’t do writer’s block. This isn’t to say I’ve never looked at the blank page and been stuck. Because of course that happens. That happens all the time. But I don’t like the term writer’s block. It makes it sound like a large, unmovable brick in your path. That is pretty daunting. I prefer thinking of it as an empty cup. And you can fill a cup.

What do we fill our cups with? Well, I tend to fill mine with things that take a little effort, but not much. Coffee and tea, mostly. You have to do a little more than just pouring something from one container to another, but not a lot.

That is how I want you to think of the advice in this post. These suggestions will take a little effort, but not much. But, like a cup of warm coffee or tea, you will feel filled in more ways than one.

Freewrite

Of course, this is where we always start. Freewriting has always been the first line of defense against an empty creative cup. Sit down, set a timer for five, ten, fifteen minutes, and just start writing. They don’t have to be good. They don’t have to have punctuation or good spelling. Hell, they don’t even have to be in order. They just have to exist

Read people who inspire you

Many writers inspire me. Natalie Goldberg and Maya Angelou come to mind first. So when I’m feeling creatively drained, I read some of my favorite works from them. It always encourages me to get back to the page quicker.

Find a random picture online

This is something I’ve done as a group game, and as a way to unstick my creativity. Jump on a website like Pixabay, and check out some random pictures. Or if you’re trying to write a certain genre, look up a keyword from that. Look up ghosts, dragons, haunted castles. Whatever you want. Then write a story about the pictures that come up.

Grab a writing prompt

Similar to the last bit of advice, find a writing prompt.

I used to think this was cheating. Was I really writing my own work if I wasn’t coming up with my own ideas? But honestly, I’ve written some of my best work from a prompt. And trust me when I say, it’s still your story. You can give a group of writers a prompt, and every one of them will write a completely different, unique story. So go get one and get writing.

Do a writing exercise

A writing exercise is different than a writing prompt. A writing prompt is an idea for a story. An exercise is a little less structured.

What does blue make you think of?

What are five things you wish you didn’t remember from your childhood?

How many ways can you write the same information?

Write the same scene from three characters pov.

These are little things that stretch our writing muscles and make us look at the world differently. This is never bad.

Give yourself a goal that is aside from finishing a project

Sometimes if you sit down and try to write a thousand words, that can feel oppressive. And if your goal is to write a whole novel, that can feel like a goal that is never going to happen. So these goals, while good in theory, can get in the way of actually getting writing done.

So try to give yourself a more unique goal. Write until a sand timer runs out. Put on a song and write until the end of it. Or write just this one scene, however long or short that scene is.

Rewrite something

Sometimes I find that my cup is empty because something is wrong with the story I’ve been writing. I’ve messed something up somewhere, and what I’m trying to write now doesn’t feel right. The cure for that is to go back and rewrite whatever isn’t working. Maybe it’s the scene before. Maybe it’s further back.

A warning, though. Sometimes this is the whole damn project that needs to be rewritten. This happened to me recently with my latest Station 86 book, and I had to throw out over fifty thousand words. While this was necessary, it also sucked ass.

Read over what you’ve read already

Sometimes you just need to get back into the groove of your story. So try reading the scene or chapter that came right before the one you’re working on. Maybe you forgot something that can turn into a serious plot bunny.

Write a list of things that absolutely won’t happen. Why won’t they happen?

If you aren’t sure what is going to happen next in your story, try making a list of what you are sure won’t happen. This helps get your brain moving in a way that doesn’t have a lot of pressure behind it.

A funny thing happens every time I do this, though. As I’m writing things I’m sure won’t happen, I start to wonder why they won’t happen. Wouldn’t it be cool if this happened? Wouldn’t it mess things up for the characters if that happened?

It’s your story, after all. Anything can happen.

Plan a writing date with a friend

Peer pressure! Grab a writing friend, and make a plan for a creativity date. Plan to go somewhere, or even get together over Zoom. When you see someone else hacking away, you’ll feel inspired to do it yourself.

If you don’t have any writing friends, there are a ton of virtual writing events online. You can find a bunch on YouTube, both live and prerecorded. There’s a big, wide community of writers out there. And we’re ready to write with you.

So now it’s your turn. What is your favorite way to fill your creative cup? Let us know in the comments.

And don’t forget, we are still doing a giveaway a day for Paper Beats World’s Tenth Anniversary. Like this post and leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of Nova.

See you tomorrow.

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Ten amazing pieces of writing advice

I have done a lot of talking this week. But now, I think it’s time for me to take a break.

While writing often feels like talking to yourself all day, some of the best writing advice you can ever take is to listen. Listen to people’s stories. Listen to how they talk. And listen to the advice of people who have gone before.

So today, I thought I’d share ten of my favorite pieces of writing advice. These are from some of my favorite authors. Women and men who have inspired me through my career. I hope they do the same for you.

Be sure not to discuss your hero’s state of mind. Make it clear from his actions

–Anton Chekhov

You can’t use up creativity. The more you use the more you have

–Maya Angelou

In writing, your audience is one single reader. I have found that sometimes it helps to pick out one person- a real person you know or an imagined person and write to that one.

–John Steinbeck

Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on

–Louis L’amour

Getting the first draft finished is like pushing a peanut with your nose across a very dirty floor.

–Joyce Carol Oats

If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. There’s no way around these two things that I’m aware of, no shortcut.

–Stephen King

Don’t identify too strongly with your work. Stay fluid behind those black-and-white words. They are not you. They were a great moment going through you. A moment you were awake enough to write down and capture

–Natalie Goldberg

You have to be careful as an author. You have to remember that you are not the protagonist’s friend. You are actually the enemy of the protagonist. The idea is to get the protagonist in as much trouble as possible and then finally get them out at the end.

–R.L Stine

A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.

–Maya Angelou

Use all your seasoning sparingly. Do not worry about making your characters shout, intone, exclaim, remark, shriek, reason, holler, or any such thing, unless they are doing it for a reason. All remarks can be said. Every time you use a fancy word your reader is going to turn his head to look at it going by and sometimes he may not turn his head back again.

–Shirley Jackson

So what do you think? What is your favorite writing advice? Let us know in the comments.

And don’t forget, we’re still doing a giveaway every day for Paper Beats World’s tenth anniversary. Like this post and leave a comment if you want a chance to win a free copy of Station Central.

See you tomorrow.

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Ten toxic lies I believed about being a writer

I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was thirteen years old.

Thirteen years old is still basically a child, despite the insistence to the contrary by any thirteen-year-old. And some Republican lawmakers. Children don’t have a very good grasp of what their dream careers actually look like. When a kid wants to be a doctor they don’t imagine the paperwork or fighting with insurance companies. And when a kid dreams of being a writer, they don’t picture staring at a screen with a brain that can’t give them anything but the lyrics to the Carmon Sandiego theme song.

My perception of what a writer does and what kind of lives they live have changed dramatically in the two-plus decades since I was thirteen. My perception of a lot of things has changed, thank God. But some of these toxic beliefs followed me further into adulthood than I’d like to admit. Some of them didn’t go away until I started meeting and spending time with other writers.

Some of these still haunt me today. So I wanted to share them with you. To call them out for the limiting bullshit they are.

All writers are very serious people

I thought this about college professors, too. Until one asked during a Zoom convention panel if another panelist’s dog was ‘pickupable’.

I love that man.

This one really messed with me, because I am not a very serious person. I am a very silly person. I like watching children’s shows and painting with my cats.

But no, you don’t have to be a serious person to be a writer. Even if you’re going to write about serious things.

All writers are very smart people

All you have to do is meet a few writers to know this one’s bullshit. Or read some books that have been published by actual publishing companies.

This was great news to me, though, because I do not consider myself a very smart person anymore that I consider myself a very serious person. I am clever. I am smart about many things, but not everything. About some things, I am a dingus.

That’s kind of the human condition, though. So please don’t ever feel like you’ve got to be smart all the time to be a good writer.

Writers write all the time

And I mean, all the time. Real writers, as I thought when I was a kid, want to write all the time. They skip meals, don’t go out, have trouble keeping a day job, and make terrible partners because they just don’t want to do anything at all but write.

Or read.

And while that seems lovely in theory, it’s not exactly realistic. For one thing, most of us do not want to write and read all the time in the same way that we don’t want to eat ice cream and sushi all the time. It sounds fantastic until you do it. Then you realize you miss French onion soup.

You are allowed to enjoy other things and still be passionate about writing. This world is too full of amazing experiences to limit ourselves. Even if it’s our very favorite thing.

Writers are often tortured by their work

How often do we see this in the media? A writer is suffering from writer’s block. They can’t think of an ending. They can’t get their character right. Their plotlines are more tangled than secondhand yarn.

It’s tearing them apart, Lisa!

Look, I’m not going to say that I never feel messed up when my writing isn’t going well. But it doesn’t wreck my whole day. Rather, it’s a puzzle I’ll keep coming back to. A song that gets stuck in my head because I don’t know all the lyrics. But most writers aren’t chain-smoking because they can’t get a line of dialog right.

Writers focus more on their work than their family

Maybe this is just the inherent guilt I felt being raised in a church that discouraged women from doing anything for themselves. But yes, I understand this concern very well.

Let me tell you, it’s not going to kill your family to deal without you for an hour. And no, writing will probably not, as we already discussed, take all of your time away so you have no time to care for the people who depend on you.

Drinking makes you a better writer

I don’t know where this one got started. I can’t write well when I’m drinking. I can’t even string sentences together without using fuck like a comma. I’m sure not writing anything worth a damn.

Worse, being dependent on a muse that comes from a bottle (or other places) only kills you. You need to be healthy to write. Overindulging in drinking isn’t a healthy decision.

Stay safe, drink tea.

The only way to be a real writer was to be traditionally published.

Boy howdy, was this one wrong. And because I was so sure that this was the truth, I jumped in with both feet for the first company that would take me.

We see how that turned out.

Self-publishing used to be laughed at. But these days it’s a respected option and one that I am so glad to see.

Once you are traditionally published, your career is on lock

I think we also know that this one didn’t work out how I thought it would.

Anything can happen in the publishing industry. Your company can liquidate. Or drop you. Or decide to break your contract. Or maybe your book doesn’t sell as well, so they refuse to buy any more books from you. The point is, just because you have a published book doesn’t mean you’re set. You’ve still got to put in that hustle.

Writers don’t bother with social media

Maybe this is just because I’m a bit older, but I never thought writers would be on social media as much as we are. And honestly, I love it. I keep up with my favorite writers and my writing friends. Social media also allows me to let people know what projects I have going on.

Real writers only write books or poetry

This one is a killer. So many writers write screenplays, scripts, podcasts and blogs. There are some fantastic writers on Wattpad.

Yes, I am a novelist. But I’m also a scriptwriter. I’m also a professional critic and blogger. These are all also valid writing. And even if I didn’t write novels, I would still be a real writer.

Remember, all you have to do to be a writer is to write. Everything else is a bonus. But also, don’t develop a drinking problem.

We are still doing our Paper Beats World anniversary giveaway. Like this post and leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of Virus. See you tomorrow.

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Ten kinds of books every writer should read

Before we begin, I just found out that Natalie Goldberg put out a new book in July. How did nobody tell me? And she wrote a whole book about haikus?

Don’t worry, reviews are forthcoming. Just as soon as I read them.

Today, though, I want to talk about a different kind of book. Ten different ones, to be specific.

Some of the best writing advice from Stephen King is to “Read a lot and write a lot.” Alright, fair enough. But what should we read?

There are many lists of books writers should read to be better at our craft. And while that’s great and all, these lists can be highly subjective. My original plan for this post was to write a list of books I think every writer should read. But there again, my list was highly subjective. I always suggest Dance Macabre, but that book isn’t going to do shit for you if you write historical fantasy.

So what we have instead is a list of ten kinds of books every writer should read. Feel free to fill in the blanks yourself.

Books everyone loves

The ever-popular books are popular for a reason. Well, sometimes. Sometimes things are popular just because they’re popular. But even then, it doesn’t hurt to know why everyone in your internet circles can’t shut up about a book.

Books everyone hates

Sometimes you hear about a book for very different reasons, because no one can shut up about how bad it is.

Reading a bad book can be incredibly educational. You learn all the things not to do. This is easier with a laugh track though, if you can get it. A great example of this is the Behind The Bastards episode where Robert reads a book by Ben Shapiro.

(Take a bullet for you, Babe. IYKYK.)

Books in your genre

This one’s a no-brainer, right? And if you’re writing in a genre, you’re probably already a fan. No one had to tell me to read Stephen King and Anne McCaffrey. I just wanted to.

Books as far removed from your genre as possible.

This is the one that seems to throw people. But we don’t learn to write just by reading our own genre. We learn by reading widely. We also open ourselves up to unexpected joy. For instance, I have no interest in writing historical fiction. But I read the hell out of Philippa Gregory.

A brief understanding of other genres can greatly help your understanding of your own. And there’s always a chance you’ll be inspired by it. While I’m not likely to write historical fiction, I might write a historical fiction slasher.

That’s a pretty good idea.

Books that teach you about writing

I love books that teach you about writing. Mostly because I love to hear other writers talk about writing.

Even if you don’t agree with all of the advice, it’s great to get someone else’s perspective on the craft. Some of my favorites are On Writing, Elements of Style, and anything Natalie Goldberg writes.

Books that teach you about anything else

Anything you learn can feed your writing. I mean anything. I’ve toured coal mines my whole life (I live in Western PA) and this has influenced my writing. You can see it even in my fantasy work, like in Starting Chains.

Read about history, science, and politics. Read about anything that sparks interest in you. I often find I don’t even try to intentionally write about things I learn in my books. I just do it. The book I’m writing right now is going to have a character who likes bugs because I like bugs.

Learn about anything that brings you joy.

Books that teach you the history of your genre

I mentioned Dance Macabre earlier. It’s an overview of the gory history of horror.

I’m sure it isn’t the only one like that. And I’m equally sure that there are books that go over the history of other genres. I just haven’t found them yet.

Understanding the roots of your genre is imperative. Even if you don’t love the classics (and some of them are dry AF) it’s important to know them.

I’ve read Dracula. I’ve read Frankenstein, Dr. Jeckle and Mr. Hyde, Beowolf, The Oddessy, and Lord of The Rings. Some of these these were fantastic. Some were a learning experience. None of them were ever a waste of my time.

Short story collections

Every story has something to teach us about writing. Short stories are a different form of storytelling than novels. So if you want to write short stories, and there are many reasons to write short stories, it stands to reason that you’d want to read enough of them to see how a smaller plot and smaller cast are achieved.

Poetry collections

Writing an eloquent, beautiful line is a joy. Conveying an emotion that seems brand new and also impossible to deny. Like dust brushed off a desk flutters in a sunbeam, dancing fairies who might have attracted the muses if we weren’t so intent upon our cleaning.

You can picture that, can’t you? I certainly hope so.

The best place to find this sort of writing is in poetry. Poetry is like a sketch of an emotion. It should make you feel like you’re standing in a certain place at a certain time.

If you can convey this in prose, you’re doing alright.

Comic books

Finally, I’d like to make the suggestion that you read some comic books.

Comic books, first off, have some fantastic stories. Especially the indie ones. Bone was fantastic. So was Transmetropolitan, The Boys, Maus, and Preacher.

Reading comic books lets you focus on the dialog. I read a lot of comics when I’m working on AA scripts because that’s all dialog. It was a great education. And, frankly, it was fun.

We are on day five of the PBW Anniversary celebration. Like this post and leave a comment to be entered to win a copy of Quiet Apocalypse. And I’ll see you back here again tomorrow.

If you liked what you saw here today, please consider liking and sharing this post. Or you can support the site financially on Ko-fi.

Broken Patterns is available now for preorder! You can order it now on Amazon.

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My ten favorite writing content creators

Writing isn’t a team sport. But it also kind of is. We’re not all shooting for the same goal. We’re not all scoring the same, or even using the same metric to define what scoring means. We’re often competing against each other for spots in magazines, podcasts and publishing companies. Some of us are showing up for practice every day, some are more weekend contributors.

But we are all on the same team, even if it feels like some of us are playing football while others are playing lacrosse. Because every time one of us hooks a new reader, that person will be a reader forever.

Since most of us don’t live in a big lovely writing commune, our main way of interacting with our fellow writers is online. And it feels like there’s a new way to do that every week. It should surprise no one that what writers want to talk about the most is writing.

Today I want to share with you a list of my top ten favorite writing content creators. Some of these people are educational. Some are inspirational. Some I follow because they say out loud the things I was already screaming in my head. While most of these are Instagram accounts, there are some YouTube and even podcasts included as well. Inspiration can come from anywhere.

Ursie.writes

Rory Ursula’s Instagram is so aesthetically appealing. It’s all pinks and grays and tans. I love it.

Aside from the aesthetics, you’ll find mini moments of writing frustrations and joys. I don’t so much learn from this Instagram, but I feel seen.

Bert Slenchner

Bert’s Instagram writing inspiration comes in the form of his personal goal-setting. He shares his progress, his cooking, and his cats. It’s a friendly feed.

Escape Pod

This is an aspirational podcast for me. It’s easily some of the best short fiction around. And they will sometimes do interviews with the authors, which is wonderful.

Mary Robinette Kowal

Following Mary Robinette on Instagram is like following an auntie who writes. She shares her work, writing tips, and videos of her cat Elsie.

Nanowrimo

Specifically, I’m talking about the Nanowrimo Instagram feed. It’s full of writing joy and inspiration. And while it usually updates more around November, April and July, there’s always something going on.

Write as Rain

AKA Rain Sullivan, this Instagram feed is so funny. It shares Rain’s frustrations and joys along her writing journey. These are so relatable it feels like she reached inside my head to pull them out.

John Green Writes Books

Yes, that John Green.

While he doesn’t post often, Green’s quiet determination about his writing career is amazing. He is the steadfast voice we all need.

Behind the Bastards

Yes, this is a podcast. Yes, it’s mostly about bad people doing horrible things. However, they sometimes read books by horrible people. Horrible people who write horrible books.

These book readings are masterclasses in what not to do when writing a book. They’re like an inoculation against shitty behavior on the page.

Writing Excuses

I know I’ve mentioned this podcast before, but it continues to be a fantastic place for writing inspiration. While the hosts change over time, the writing advice and career comradery do not. And I appreciate the homework given every episode. Because learning about writing is all well and good, but it means nothing if you don’t put it into practice.

Writing With Jenna

Finally, we’ll end on a twofer. Writing With Jenna has a fantastic and informational YouTube channel. She also has a fantastic Instagram feed. Both are full of great advice on writing, marketing, and living as a professional writer.

Don’t forget, that today is day four of the Paper Beats World Anniversary giveaway. Like this post and comment for a chance to win a copy of Man in The Woods. Check back tomorrow to find out the winner.

See you tomorrow.

If you liked what you saw here today, please consider liking and sharing this post. Or you can support the site financially on Ko-fi.

Broken Patterns is available now for preorder! You can order it now on Amazon.

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How do you know when your series is done?

For most of my writing career, I’ve worked on three book series. Woven, Station 86 and AA. All three series were planned out, with a specific number of books and a specific storyline in place.

Woven ended up being one book longer, with a prequel novel. Station 86 was supposed to be three books. Then it became four. Then five. Now I’m working on the last one for real this time. And at this point, I have no idea how many seasons AA is going to have. I think I know how it’s going to end, but I guess we’ll see.

Long-running book series, TV shows and comics can feel like institutions. It can very much feel like they will never have an ending. Some shows, like Star Trek, Dr. Who and The Simpsons, really feel like they could go on and on forever. Book series aren’t as prone to this, but we all know there are some series that will probably go on even after the original author passes. Looking at you, Rita Mae Brown.

So how do we know, as writers, when to stop writing? When do we know that the story, and the series, is finished?

While every story will ask something different from a writer, here is the best advice I can give regarding the matter.

Start with an outline

This isn’t a safe space for pantsers, sorry not sorry. If you’re writing a story that is going to span several books, you need to at least have some idea of where the damn story is heading. You need to have a destination in mind. That way, even if you take a winding path to get there, you at least have some direction.

When I wrote Woven, I knew how I wanted the story to end. And I stayed pretty true to that. It was going to originally be one book, but ended up bloating and growing so much that it needed a whole trilogy. Then, of course, Grace had to sneak into my mind and refuse to let go, so I had to give her her own story.

The thing is, I could write more in this world. And I might yet. But for right now, I had a specific story in mind, and I told it.

If you stop having fun

I know I harp on this, and I’m not likely to stop. Writing is supposed to be fun. Not all the time. There are some times when it’s absolutely a nightmare. Sometimes writing will shatter your soul and your will to exist. But your passion for the work cannot wain. It cannot feel like a slough.

When writing starts to feel like work, it might be time to set this series aside. Maybe just for a while. Maybe forever. But if it’s work to write, it’s gonna be work to read. And nobody wants that.

If you start repeating yourself

I mentioned Rita Mae Brown earlier. I used to love her books. I also loved The Cat Who series by Lillian Jackson Braun. But even though Brown is still around and writing, I’ve stopped reading. Because it became repetitive.

There are only so many stories one person wants to read about a cat and corgi who solve mysteries. Especially when it doesn’t feel like any of the characters change or grow. Given that, it’s easy for all the books to feel the same. So if you feel like you’re on repeat, it might be time to give that story a rest.

When all the loose threads are accounted for

Even in continuing series, there are some overall plots. Maybe it’s just a running gag or a long-standing irritation. Maybe one character is constantly one-upping another. Think of Lucy and Charlie Brown with the football.

I certainly suggest having things like this in your writing. It’s fun. But when you think you might be ready to stop writing your series, it’s time for some payoff. It’s time for Charlie Brown to get to kick the football. Or, just become savvy and self-assured enough to walk away from the situation.

Now that I’m working on the last Station 86 book, I’m re-reading the whole series. Because I want to make sure I don’t leave any of these loose ends

When you feel passionate about a new project

Sometimes it’s easy to get in a rut, even with our creative work. We sit down and start writing a story in the same way we’ve always written stories because it is the same way we’ve learned to write stories.

Then, something new comes along. A new idea. Maybe a whole new genre. A new character steps into the light and asks for your attention.

Then demands it.

That might be a sign that it’s time to put your current tale to rest. I’m not suggesting dropping the story mid-draft, or if you have a cliffhanger out there. But if the muse is tempting you with new, exotic tales, they might have a very good reason for doing so. And you might have a very good reason to listen.

Don’t forget, we are on day three of the Paper Beats World’s tenth anniversary giveaway. Like this post and leave a comment for the chance to win a copy of my 2024 Preptober Planner. Check back tomorrow for the winner.

If you liked what you saw here today, please consider liking and sharing this post. Or you can support the site financially on Ko-fi.

Broken Patterns is available now for preorder! You can order it now on Amazon.

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