Before we start, I want to mention that we’ve covered some of this subject in my podcast, Writing Excuses. For instance, one of the podcasts tagged “Education” is called “Do Creative Writing Classes Really Help?” You may find other episodes that can answer questions that may arise while you are…

Are there any useful exercises you could give to a writer who’s trying to improve their technique?   I’ve heard the one about four different people describing the same place, but I was wondering if you had any other good ones.  Try to describe an extended scene, with various things…

So you think you’ve got a case of writer’s block, having excessive anxiety about expressing your work properly, or a combination of the two. Writing Excuses First, you may enjoy listening to my Writing Excuses podcast (http://www.writingexcuses.com). Some episodes that you may find particularly helpful are: Season 1, Episode 16:…

What you’re experiencing is not uncommon, and I think your instincts are good.  Too many writers let a book spiral out of their control, particularly early in their writing career. What I suggest are little accents that evoke a much larger world, but which you don’t dwell upon.  Spend a day or two…

See the Worldbuilding section of the “Brandon’s Writing Process” section of the FAQ to see how I approach it on my own writing. Do what works for you. Some authors like a lot of extensive worldbuilding, others like to just do what they need to give flavor to the story….

When in doubt, do a scene in dialogue rather than through narrative. This will help keep the pacing faster. Practice writing dialogue without any tags or setting descriptions; see if you can make each character SOUND like themselves without any other clues. Of course, you want to include the tags…

Flashbacks can be tricky. Here are a few suggestions. Don’t introduce them too early. In many ways, establishing character and setting takes longer in a book than in a movie. So I generally feel that it’s better to hold off on any flashbacks for a few chapters. If you’re going…

First, you may enjoy listening to my podcast. Writing Excuses is a quick-paced podcast about writing and how to produce sf/fantasy stories. You can listen through your browser or use a function that downloads podcasts, like itunes. It’s a weekly podcast and the website has an archive of all previous…