For too much of my life I had the impression that writing was something that happened to you because the gods of inspiration had chosen you, not something that you did. The result was helpless frustration. I sought ways to make my elusive moments of inspiration visit me more often. I wanted to know how […]
Why I Prefer Process to “Inspiration” Read More »
No writer wants to hear that his story is “predictable.” It one of the worst criticisms you can give a writer. It suggests tedium and dullness. At the same time writers are told that characters should be consistent, that they should never lurch from the rules that govern their personalities – in other words, characters
How to Surprise Readers with the Familiar Read More »
Writing is the next best thing to telepathy. It makes up for something we lack in nature: the ability to truly feel what it is like to be another person. Sympathy aside, everything I experience, I ultimately experience alone. This will always be true. No one else will ever literally feel my pain, my bliss,
What Makes Writing Universal? Read More »
