This is the first in series of blog posts about writing sex. (NSFW, obviously.) To start with, I strongly believe that all writers benefit from writing porn. There’s a few reasons for this and I’ll be covering each of those in different blog posts. In this post, I’m talking about why it’s a writer’s responsibilityContinue reading “On deconstructing shame (by writing porn)”
Category Archives: writing process
On using understandable language
This morning one of the mailing lists to which I’m subscribed linked me to this article about how jargon relates to trust by Shane Snow. I like a lot of what Snow has to say (it’s his mailing list), and he generally makes me think. What he had to say on this occasion isn’t newContinue reading “On using understandable language”
On habits and friction
The best book on habits I’ve ever read is ‘Atomic Habits’ by James Clear. I recommend it mostly because in every other book I’ve seen potentially helpful suggestions, but no real overarching framework. Clear breaks mentality and psychology down into something useable and customisable, without judgement. I’m due for a reread, but one of theContinue reading “On habits and friction”
On endings and their weave
Everyone knows that endings are important in stories; this fact isn’t new. What kind of ending can make or break a series; and when it breaks, well. There’s a reason we have the saying ‘jumping the shark’. Not all endings will satisfy everyone, but neither will all stories: a person’s individual taste doesn’t necessarily meanContinue reading “On endings and their weave”
On mediums and The Novel
With her permission, I’m using my coauthor as an example today. So, my coauthor is a phenomenal writer. When she’s writing at her best, she has such emotion and humour, and has techniques I honestly love to emulate. The thing is that when she’s writing at her best, she isn’t writing novels. She’s roleplaying. WeContinue reading “On mediums and The Novel”
On the world as villain
There’s two kinds of hopeful stories. One with the world as the villain, and one with the world as a victim. I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. I keep running up against well-written media, often recommended to me by friends, which should appeal and instead leaves me feeling drained. And I’m very emotionallyContinue reading “On the world as villain”
On word counts as a writing tool
Last year — 2019 — I wrote over a half-million words for the year on novelised fiction. It was the first time I’d recorded doing that. If I’d been counting all the words written while roleplaying casually and discussing story and plots with my co-author, it would’ve been a lot more than my eventual countContinue reading “On word counts as a writing tool”
On nurturing creativity with silence
“I don’t want to be the person who always talks about writing and never does.” Be honest. How often do you talk about something, probably fun or exciting, something you genuinely want to do, genuinely mean to do, which then doesn’t happen? If you’re a writer especially, probably a lot. See, writers talk a lot.Continue reading “On nurturing creativity with silence”
On frontloading editing
Slightly late post this week. A friend gifted me with the Destiny 2: Beyond Light legendary edition and suffice to say we were ever so slightly distracted. It’s proven a decent incentive though, because this week I’ve been focusing on finishing out the first edits for the fourth book of Broadsides, and my greatest regretContinue reading “On frontloading editing”
On putting in the effort vs doing the work
The conventional advice, when pursuing writing as a career, is not to give up your day job. Generally speaking, good advice! One still needs to be able to support themselves. Which I ignored, for several reasons. Firstly, the place where I was working had become untenable to me and I had to quit for myContinue reading “On putting in the effort vs doing the work”
Aurichalcum Publishing 