5 Creative Ways to Find Writing Inspiration

Sometimes the creative brain just goes blank at the worst possible moment (like when you're knee deep into act 2 and suddenly forget the protagonist's name). It's just a part of being a writer. Either you have too many ideas (at the worst possible time) or you have so little your brain feels like...

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Let's Talk About Death

A scarlet tongue lolls from the mouth of a decapitated head like a fat caterpillar. Bloated bodies hang from the gnarled limbs of twisted trees, swinging like shrine bells. And, at this, your main character shrugs and continues on her way. Why? It's almost as if we've forgotten the psychological...

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Best Writing Tip Ever: Use Music. Seriously.

Sometimes silence can be deafening. It can bring out your doubts, fears, and worries. Silence might even make you step away from your keyboard and give up for the day. Silence can silence you. Here are some ways music can help you avoid that. Music and Brainstorming We've all been there, staring...

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One Weird Trick for Boosting Your Writing Productivity

What's the difference between 10,000 word days and 500 word days? Or, maybe you're having a bit of writer's block and can't seem to stop surfing the net for a cure? We've all been there, trust me. What's the cure-all for slow writing days and days where you feel like you can't write anything at...

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3 Thought Provoking Questions For Crafting Unforgettable Antagonists

Your antagonist can breathe a little extra life into your story, or flatten it. Wholly. Just like we know our heroes as well as we know ourselves, we should get to know our antagonist as if they are the hero. Because it's no secret that every antagonist believes they're the hero of their own...

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3 Awesome Lessons I Learned While Worldbuilding This Week

Worldbuilding in a shellnut. It's no secret that writers must write, and when one novel is finished you've got to move on to the next one to keep your mojo going. Recently, I finished a duology of Japanese historicals and realized that I really--really--wanted to get back into fantasy writing...

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A Short Story: Death Cures a Fool

If I stand downstream, I can see their corpses. A waterlogged kitten floats down like a listless bag of flour. Next, comes a toad, its back legs missing. Finally, I see beetles. Huge throngs of black bug carcasses come rolling down the river and I watch them pass by with a sigh and shake of my head....

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A Short Story: Birdsong

They called him Nest because he carried a little bird on his back. “Moo-ma?” chirped the little bird, chubby little legs wiggling as she grew tired of her bamboo carrier. “Where Moo-ma?” And he’d cringe as he lied to her: “Sick, little Momo. She’s gone to buy medicine.” Then continue his slow going...

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A Short Story: Lady of the House

Let us pretend the house is silent. Ignore the little squeaks beneath the floorboards. Please excuse the little mouse in the basement, for it loves to scream and cry. Please ignore the pounding sounds rising up from the tatami matting in the foyer. I promise you, it is nothing. And even if it is...

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A Short Story: Boneland

While walking the dirt roads of our homeland, it is not unusual to see desolate fields of rotting men. Bodies upon bodies drifting in a sea of orange and brown and yellow. This is a natural sight. Why, you may not even bat an eye if you squash the unattached limb of a pole bearer. You may look into...

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