This past weekend I attended the Writer’s Digest Annual Conference. It was my first writing conference, and I learned a lot from the presenters, panelists, and the other attendees. I’ll start off with valuable advice I received and then talk about my personal experience. Takeaways from the Conference Writing Process This section has more to … Continue reading Conference Takeaways From WDC18
Pacing, Vague Feedback, and State Change
Pacing is the most consistent issue I see whenever I beta read a story, and while it’s difficult to master, it’s pretty easy to identify when it goes wrong. But when someone says the “pacing is off” in your book… What does that even mean? How do you fix it? First of all, let’s break … Continue reading Pacing, Vague Feedback, and State Change
[Fiction] Violet Eyes
This post is a demonstration of the topics presented in: Why Setting Matters Storytelling Through Minor Characters Consequential Worldbuilding You don't need to review those topics to enjoy this work, though they do offer some insight into the motivations for this piece. Violet Dyes Author Todd Beckman Genre Adventure Word Count 1800 Violet. Nothing but … Continue reading [Fiction] Violet Eyes
“I Paid My Life For This” Seal Of Approval
Last time, I promised some flash fiction. Don't worry, that's been written and I'm getting feedback from my writing group before posting. This week’s post is my hand at nonfiction: a value system focused on minimizing regrets. Often, motivational advice and value systems tend to give instruction around seeking happiness. While the intentions are agreeable, … Continue reading “I Paid My Life For This” Seal Of Approval
Consequential Worldbuilding
I want to try something new with this blog post: building a world together. Worldbuilding is fun, but so many fictional worlds just feel… hard to believe. The internet is loaded with worldbuilding guides that are really just checklists of features and an arbitrary history. What’s the difference between this and a truly believable world? … Continue reading Consequential Worldbuilding
“The Way Of Kings” And The Designing Principle
I recently binged Brandon Sanderson’s The Way Of Kings and its sequel, Words Of Radiance. I love the series so far, but I believe storytellers across all media could learn a thing or two from why some parts from the first book felt weak. Don’t misunderstand--this is one of the best books I’ve read. However, … Continue reading “The Way Of Kings” And The Designing Principle
Storytelling Through Minor Characters
Not all people in a fictional world are important to the plot. However, I believe it is a mistake to use that as a justification to avoid including insignificant characters at all. The plot is not the entire story. Unimportant characters are vital in convincing the reader that the setting is plausible or complete. They … Continue reading Storytelling Through Minor Characters
