Show Don’t Tell Alternatives

‘Show Don’t Tell’ is one of the most common pieces of writing advice around (followed closely by ‘Kill Your Darlings’ which is daft but that’s another post). The problem with show don’t tell is that it’s unspecific. And also just kind of impossible. Let’s start with the impossible (and I’m going to be very literal […]

August 8, 2016 | Posted in Craft, Story Courses
Kill Your Darling Alternatives

I have always thought, ‘kill your darlings’ was terrible writing advice. I, therefore, mostly just disregarded it. No, let’s be honest. I kind of spitefully worked to prove that they were worth keeping. I wasn’t always correct, which is where a good editor is important. But I still don’t think you should kill your darlings […]

July 4, 2016 | Posted in Craft
writing like an actress

I grew up as an actress. For a multitude of reasons as complex as my fluid perspective on identity and as simple as being cast as the lead in the kindergarten play. I was in plays throughout high school and college. I moved to LA, got an agent and had a co-star role on a […]

June 20, 2016 | Posted in Story Courses
Captain America and Modern Heroes

Captain America has a list in The Winter Soldier to keep track of all the things he’s missed in our very modern society. We have the newest technology, decades of great music available at the touch of a button, and the broadest knowledge that the world has ever seen. But Part 1 of this series […]

May 13, 2016 | Posted in Character, Story Courses
Captain America and Character Journeys

Part 2 Part 2 in the Captain America series begins at the end, after the action, when certainty has replaced questions and conundrums and the struggle to find the right path. It began at Comic Con in 2011 when my best friend and I went to see Captain America: The First Avenger. I loved Cap. […]

May 11, 2016 | Posted in Character, Story Courses
Captain America and Responsibility

This is actually part 3 in a series; a long running discussion with one of my best friends not about Captain America and Responsibility but where Captain America continues to end up right in the middle of what we’re talking about. So, this week is a series in reverse. Part 3 We begin with Captain […]

May 9, 2016 | Posted in Story Courses
Why everyone needs to see The Huntsman: Winter’s War

I had planned to do the first of my DIY Publishing posts today but then I saw The Huntsman: Winter’s War and kept thinking about it and decided I wanted to talk about this instead. Everyone needs to see The Huntsman: Winter’s War for one simple reason: so they make more. Those who know me […]

April 25, 2016 | Posted in Life, Story Courses
Tattered Heart is an audiobook

At long last, the Tattered Heart audiobook is available! I’ve written this post a couple of dozen times over the past year, some more eloquent than others and now that I sit down and finally get to type it out, I can’t remember any of the heartfelt or charming things I was going to say. […]

April 18, 2016 | Posted in Tattered Heart
#AmCurrently

I’ve decided to occasionally do update posts that aren’t just for the entire year. I stole my #AmCurrently format from Cait at PaperFury because it’s so shiny and versatile. She has agreed to forgive me as long as I feed her lots of cake. #AmCurrently Writing Nothing! I almost feel horrible about it, but not […]

April 11, 2016 | Posted in Arizona, Blogging, Enchanted Storms, Life, Tattered Heart
The confluence of YA and comic books

I was catching up on Variety articles this week and read a commentary about the latest installment of Divergent. “Allegiant’s” performance has some on Wall Street doubting that Lionsgate has figured out a formula for young adult films — something it seemed to have discovered in the wake of “The Hunger Games” and “Twilight,” its […]

March 28, 2016 | Posted in Story Courses