Pacing, Description, and Painted Toes
Pacing is a tricky learning curve for some, like me. Other writers seem to have an intuitive feel for it and know just when to […]
Articles by Melanie Anastasiou
Moliere Likes Your Page One
Every first page is a challenge, often happily so. We have to establish time and place, hint at the central character and establish tone and […]
Making the Cow Creamer Matter
Writing light comic fiction is tricky, because funny won’t carry a full-length novel on its own. Something big needs to be at stake, and I […]
A Great Exchange
An exchange of power between characters is a fantastic way to get a tight rhythm going, whether in dialogue or with a physical struggle. In […]
Writer’s Block: Resources, and Strategies
This week I promised to write up some ways to bypass writer’s block. If you have more I’d love to hear them. Like sleep mnemonics, it’s […]
Writer’s Block, Logic, and Trust
The Oxford Dictionary defines ‘writer’s block’ as the condition of being unable to think of what to write or how to proceed with writing. “I […]
Mapping the Action
“Remember in your story that setting is the other character. It is as important to your story as the people in it because it gives […]
Standoffs and Battle Scenes: Thanks for the Tip, Rob Edwards
“Standoffs keep the story going”. –Rob Edwards Mind you, I do love a good fight. Battles in books are supreme acts of creative imagination. The best […]
And the Raven Contest Winner Is…
Our third contest was a tough one: write a story to go with the intriguing and detailed cover painting, ‘Pesky Summer Jobs’ by Dutch artist […]
Trust the Horse You Rode In On
The nice thing about horses — as opposed to bicycles or cars — is they’ll take you home even if you’re dead tired, it’s dark […]