Desolate Company [Joseph, Samuel] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Desolate Company

When writing scene endings, a strong ending invites your reader or viewer to continue. Read examples of effective scene endings.

Are the rules getting in the way of you telling a good story?

Sincerity may only be able to get you a cup of coffee if you pony up about $2.50, but it can get you a lot further in the stories you write if you apply it to your characters. What I mean by this is having your characters believe in the world they live in, and thus are sincere in their interactions with it. This helps suspend disbelief and hooks your reader.

Bladedancer [Joseph, Samuel] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Bladedancer

Usually I limit myself to one writing-related post per month. But something has been irritating the living hell out of me for years, and the more time that passes, the angrier I get. So, lest I morph ...

I’ve been a fanfiction author since my early teens—a few years after I began writing original long-form SFF—and I’ve learned more about the art and craft of writing from fanfic than I have in any clas...

When characters become volatile, it doesn’t matter if they have a good reason or not, only the mistakes and missteps that often follow.

Desolate Company [Joseph, Samuel] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Desolate Company

“Build a man a fire and he’s warm for a day,” I say. “But set a man on fire and he’s warm for the rest of his life. Tao of Pratchett. I live by it.” —Jim Butcher, Cold Days (2012) That’s “Sir Terry” t...

Plot conflict begins with character goals, motivations, and the roadblocks, flawed plans or obstacles that lead to confrontation. Learn more.

Bladedancer [Joseph, Samuel] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Bladedancer

“Fog through a full moon’s light,” he whispered, trying to make the words flow. “None but the strange would be out this night. Sleep not in Gravewald alone, for mysteries wait there forever unknown.”

Improve your story with characters that not only step out of the box, but kick it across the room.

Amazon.com: Desolate Company eBook : Joseph, Samuel: Books

As a young child devouring every fantasy book I could get my hands on, I was incredibly lucky to have not only a mentor in my school librarian but also an unlimited transatlantic supply of books from ...

Problematic assumptions abound in our stories. Let's fix that.

Bladedancer [Joseph, Samuel] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Bladedancer

Amazon.com: Desolate Company eBook : Joseph, Samuel: Books

When it comes to outlining vs. improvising, I’ve found that we all do the same steps in a different order. Many writing conversations (whether on panels, in blog posts, etc.) discuss a plotter vs. pan...

Managing expectations is an important part of storytelling.

Bladedancer [Joseph, Samuel] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Bladedancer

The author of The Future of Another Timeline writes, “We cannot accomplish anything without recognizing our current timeline for what it is.”

Amazon.com: Desolate Company eBook : Joseph, Samuel: Books

These 9 ableist tropes are often seen in contemporary fiction, and this disabled reader would like to see more nuance.

An artificial intelligence study on female prevalence in literature finds a staggering discrepancy in female representation.

A lesson in what tension isn't.

McConnell is the latest example of an incapacitated politician refusing to let go.

YouTube video by Takes™ by Jamelle Bouie