Save the Pearls Readthrough (The Background)
I participated in a readthrough of Save the Pearls: Revealing Eden. I am now planning on presenting it here. For background, Save the Pearls would have been just another mediocre […]
writing
Problems with Mary Sue (The Concept)
Previously I presented my Mary Sue test, a (hopefully) more nuanced version of the many internet quizzes that help beginning authors determine if their characters are too unrealistic. Today, however, […]
Katz’s Mary Sue Test
The Mary Sue, as a concept, is a useful but oft-misapplied tool. Its utility, I think, is primarily that it is a way to teach inexperienced writers about context, framing, […]
Science Fiction, Technology, and the Singularity
Science fiction writers, as a group, seem to share more common traits than writers of other genres (and, indeed, other groups of people in general). Many have the same background, […]
The Difference between Illustrating and Writing
Given the number of successful writer-illustrators out there, it’s perhaps unsurprising that writing and illustrating are so often treated as concurrent skills when, in fact, they are quite different and […]
The Art of Receiving Criticism
My previous two posts discussed the art of providing helpful criticism. This time, I’ll be discussing the author’s side of the process: How to receive criticism so that you get […]
The Art of Criticism, Part II
Last time, I discussed the different types of criticism and how your methods should vary accordingly. This time, I’ll discuss general rules that you should always follow when critiquing someone […]
The Art of Criticism
Everyone’s a critic. This is a shame, because not everyone is good at it. Everyone has an opinion and seems to think that, not only are all (or, at least, […]
About No More Dead Parents
To lose one parent, Mr. Worthing, may be regarded as a misfortune. To lose both looks like carelessness. – Lady Augusta Bracknell, The Importance of Being Earnest Being a parent […]