Tag Archives: writing

Blog

Crafting a Space Opera—Let the Pain Begin

Leave a comment

I don’t know what possessed me to want to write a “space opera.” Of course, I loved the original Star Wars trilogy. As an aspiring fiction writer, it’s not that inconceivable that I’d want to try my hand at the genre.

But, boy, it is harder than it looks.

There are numerous magnificent entries into the science fantasy action/adventure genre. Too many to count. They span galaxies, timelines, themes, and tones. They are crammed with thrills, romance, mysteries, and just a little bit of science.

And—as someone who wants to write fantasy fiction, without boundaries—it seemed like the perfect place to jump in.

Ouch.

I guess I always jump into creative projects with both feet. Even as a kid, the excitement of drawing my own comic characters or writing my own adventures was enough to propel me forward. The enthusiasm I felt for creating my own stuff was enough for me to overcome whatever hurdles laid in my path.

Continue reading Crafting a Space Opera—Let the Pain Begin →

Blog

Finding a Genre That Works—It’s Harder Than It Looks

Leave a comment

I’ve been writing for a long time. It’s been a journey, a long, hard, miserable journey.

Trying to get something published is a pain in the ass. And not really worth a person’s time anymore, since you’re better off self-publishing.

But honestly, none of that matters if you’re not writing. A lot.

For a long time, I tried doing the High fantasy thing. My role model is J. R. R. Tolkein and I wanted to write a sage as big and memorable as The Lord of the Rings.

Personally, I struggled with this. How do I write a story that’s as wonderful as his, but not come off as a cheap rip off?

And trust me, buddy, there are a lot of Tolkien rip-offs out there. So many, it’s kind of sickening.

Continue reading Finding a Genre That Works—It’s Harder Than It Looks →

Blog

How to Use Real Life to Write Your Story

How to use real life to write your story

The most personal stories can be the most powerful

One of the most challenging questions aspiring writers have is where to look for ideas.

Well, we’ve spent plenty of time over the last few weeks exploring that question. And why, it can easily be solved.

Ideas are everywhere. And the more you think about storytelling, the more you will be bursting with ideas. When you implement a few practical tools for harvesting ideas, you will never run out of ideas for stories.

That’s, honestly, the easy part. The hard part? Crafting a story that is unique, sincere, and will resonate with a reader.

Last week, I detailed how real-life events can be jumping-off points for stories. The fact is, some of the most popular movies, books, and series were based on real life. It gives your work a kind of credibility (even if you don’t put in the line “Based on a true story”) and give a story a foundation from which you can experiment.

But how can you make a story more authentic? In an age when so many people are producing content—most of which is shallow and clickbaity—how can your stories feel real and meaningful? How can you make sure your story is going to connect with a stranger, to the point where they want to care about it?

You gotta get personal.

Continue reading How to Use Real Life to Write Your Story →

Blog

Real Life can Inspire New Ideas

How art imitates—or inspires—your next big story

Over the last few weeks, I’ve explored how writers get ideas for their stories.

I tackled why that’s such a daunting question for some writers. Then, we explored various ways writers (or any kind of storyteller) can harvest new ideas. I even provided a few practical tips and tactics you can use to make sure you never miss a moment of brilliance.

Where can you get ideas for writing? Everywhere!

The biggest hurdle I see from newbie writers is that their idea for a story just isn’t original. “But it’s been done before!” is their common refrain. My friend, yes, it’s been done before. But not by you. If you want to write and finish a story others will hopefully enjoy, you have to let go of that fear.

Because, honestly, it’s just an excuse not to take the plunge.

Once you get over that, you have an entire world to explore for ideas. Even then, it might be hard.

Let’s start with what we know best: what’s really happening around us.

Continue reading Real Life can Inspire New Ideas →

Blog

Where Do Writers Get Ideas?

Where do writers get their ideas?

Part 3: Crafting a Process for Harvesting Ideas

The dreaded question. Where do writers get their ideas?

I’ve been exploring this the past few weeks. I believe that writers don’t like to answer this question because—for a busy, accomplished writer—getting ideas is the easy part. Their creative subconscious is always churning out new ones.

But for someone that hasn’t been writing since they could hold a pencil, this seems like a daunting task. Especially in an age where there is so much media out there, it feels like all the good ideas have been done.

You can overcome that hurdle by taking risks, combining ideas into a new thing, and creating a process that nurtures and harvests new ideas.

For some writers, all of this is second nature. But for many, they had to learn a process so they could write consistently.

Because, and this is the rub my friends, if you’re not writing consistently, you’ll never finish your story.

Continue reading Where Do Writers Get Ideas? →