One of the (many) problems/headaches I’ve experienced in my writing is ensuring that I’m true to the story’s frame of reference.  You see, we all have our own set of experiences and cultural references that set our understanding of the world around us.  But should they also influence our characters? Take for example borsht.  I know that borsht is Beet soup.  I can describe what it looks like, how it tastes, how best to eat it, etc.  But would the word borsht mean anything to someone from South America (without having to go through the detailed explanation first)? Now, how about a more extreme example.  What about a peasant farmer living in a medieval-esque era in a fantasy setting who worships nature?  Would he (or she) […]

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Sometimes the toughest thing with being a writer is actually finding the time to write.  This post is case in point.  The only time I actually had any time to do any writing was at the cusp of a new day. So what the heck is the answer?  The biggest piece of the answer (because there certainly isn’t one definitive one) is to make your writing a priority.  Just like you would do for exercising, spending time with your family or going out for that quiet time that you so desperately need. So how do I tackle this problem (because with two children and a full-time job, it most certainly is a problem)?  The only answer I can give you […]

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Have you ever heard the saying “Give the horse his head?”.  If you haven’t, I just want to be very clear about one thing:  I am not suggesting you rip off a horse’s head and feed it to him (or her… whatever).  No, that might be something that you may (or may not) see in one of Aaron’s scene examples, but that’s another story. What it really means (to a rider anyway) is to let the horse run as hard and as fast as it wants (and let it pick its own path too).  OK, that’s kind of interesting, but so what?  What the heck is your point? My point is, sometimes, you have to give your characters the freedom to do things […]

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You have just finished chapter 4 and you know how chapter 6 will go, but somehow, chapter 5 just won’t let itself be written. If you have done any amount of writing you have most assuredly faced this problem. If you haven’t seen it yet, you will. So how do you get from point A to point C when point B is a big unknown? The tool I use most often is the bullet-point.  In short-form, I map out the events that need to happen to get from A-to-C. These bullets can include things like: is travel involved? do any relationships need to change? do additional characters need to be involved (or leave)? and so on. And, of course, for each […]

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