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• 5 Tips on Writing Serial Fiction

  The opportunities to tell ongoing stories — serial fiction — have never been better. Here are five tips to help you when finally jump in.

• 3 Things to Never Say to an Actor

  Want the best performances you can get out of your actors? Here are three directing tips to help.

• 25 Things About Filmmaking

  These are some filmmaking tips I’ve picked up. You might agree or disagree, but I think you’ll find something here worth thinking about.

• 5 Reasons Your Dialogue Isn’t Authentic

  I’ve been known to turn down an audition once I’ve seen the script. It’s not the story, usually I only have the barest sense of what the story is about anyway because I usually just get  a side — selected pages I’ll read for the audition only. What kills it for me is the dialogue. […]

• 34 More Scifi and Fantasy Writing Prompts

  Who doesn’t love a great writing prompt? Here are 34 more scifi and fantasy writing prompts, licensed, as usual, under Creative Commons and culled from ideas in my notebooks, stuff floating around in my head, tidbits from others stories or shows, and so on. Use them as you see fit! Sitting silent and watching for […]

• 25 Things About Writing

  “Trying to edit while writing is like trying to chop down a tree while you’re climbing it.”

• 25 Things About Creating Stories

  Humans are natural born storytellers, right?

• 7 Writing Rules You Can Totally Break

  Writing is fraught with rules, some that aren’t actually even rules at all. Here are seven writing rules you can totally break and feel good about it, too.

• 25 Scifi and Fantasy Holiday Writing Prompts

  In the holiday spirit? These holiday writing prompts will help light a fire of creativity that you can later use for your yule log or menorah. Up to you.

• 5 Common Writing Mistakes That Make You Look Like an Amateur

  So they say knowing is half the battle, right? Well, someone said it somewhere once and I’m gonna go with it. There are a couple of common writing mistakes that will instantly peg you as a novice to any agent or editor, but are really easy to fix if you know what they are. I’ve […]