On Worldbuilding
K writes: I’m working on a book … I just really love your world building, and now that I’ve gotten a pretty good handle on who my characters are, I need to flesh out the world they are in. How
...read moreNovel Length and Writing Questions
R writes: I had a question about word counts. I’m trying to figure out what the proper format for a manuscript is and came across a snag. What would you consider to be an average word count for your books
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On Ebooks
Disclaimer: All of the information below is based on my personal experience and that of my friends. Your mileage may and will vary. Question: So do you get the same per book from an ebook sale? I got a kindle
...read moreMistakes
I’ve been stuck on the same scene for four days. It’s been driving me mad. This morning Gordon looked at me and said, “You’re a bundle of nerves.” Which is usually code for “Dear God, woman, you’re biting everyone’s head
...read moreOn publishing and promo
Note: This was drafted before Quartet Press folded, but it seems oddly relevant now. Question from Sachiko regarding author promotion: Does this [increased demand for author promotion- Ilona] reduce publishers’ gatekeeping powers? If I’m going to bust my hump to
...read moreTime Transition
Disclaimer: When you speak about writing and how-to’s, people tend to immediately contradict you, because in writing there is rarely the right way to do things or the only way to do things. Writing is a form of expression and
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Show Don’t Tell
Show, don’t tell is a rule the writers probably hear the most. It’s a good rule, but it is also often misinterpreted. Here is my take on it. What is it? There are several definitions floating out there on the
...read moreOn Gender, Confusion of
Seen on one of the livejournals (paraphrased): Why does the gender of the protagonist needs to be immediately defined? Why do people complain that they don’t know my character is female until page 3? It doesn’t have anything to do
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