In the olden days of photography, you set up your equipment and took careful pictures. Yet it wasn't until you developed the negatives...

You've sifted through a mound of ideas. Found one you're convinced will rise to the occasion. Crafted a truly exciting recipe. Roll up...

You have your great idea. You've committed to breathing life into it. Now you need to test it. Bend it. Twist it. Make sure the story you...

The writer stares at a blank screen. How do novels begin? Not talking about the finished story here, ready for the reader. Talking about...

During this pandemic and the shut-down of many businesses, my energy-sector employer has a nifty set-up allowing us to work from home...

They say art is never truly finished, it is only ever abandoned. Well, that's a lot better than watching the art do the abandoning. I...

One writing principle many writers prefer is this: Before starting, know your ending. This structural approach captures the essence of...

One of these days, I will depart my HR career and continue my journey as a novelist. Not start my journey as a novelist; continue it....

I define a "gap" as the wonderful opening that develops between experience and expectation, the rift that tears open when actuality pulls...

One of my all-time favourite writers, Kurt Vonnegut Jr., claimed that every character should want something, even if it's just a glass of...

A few words to live by, and to write by: The vast majority of people who say they want to write a novel never complete their first draft....

Ah, the edit. E.D.I.T.: Every Detail Is Threatened. I'm looking forward to finishing the second draft of my novel, The Time Chamber, and...

In James Michener's NASA-era epic novel "Space", a rocket scientist argues with a project manager that they already have the know-how and...

I'm a big fan of lists. Quick-hit summaries that I can refer to when seeking to spark my imagination, add variety or mix things up, or...

Always good for a chuckle is the one about the bride preparing for her wedding day. She'll walk down the aisle, join the groom at the...

Like the body needs blood flowing through its veins, so too does a story need conflict pulsing through its narrative. A body without...

Starting out, I used to ask myself the wrong question: "What do I want to do today?" Answers included going to the movies, dining out...

Was curious this morning about a nasty wound a character suffers, what it would look like, what it would feel like. Short of injuring...