Congratulations! You made it through the first book! And your characters are so cute together :3. So… what happens next? Sequels are tricky, because there’s so much comparison between your first book and your second. If they need to be bigger than (and not just on par with) book one, what does that mean forContinue reading “What Next? Continuing a Romantic Arc in Your Sequel “
Tag Archives: writing tips
The List of Forbidden Tropes
I decided while packing Uber orders at work today that instead of trying to sound intelligent in today’s blog post, I’d just write out my thoughts conversationally and hope that even if it’s not informative, it’s at least encouraging. Six weeks ago, I started this blog post with a list of tropes I don’t likeContinue reading “The List of Forbidden Tropes”
Writing Romances that Last Beyond the Book
Some fictional romances feel fictional. Reading them is like watching a badly-performed theatrical performance, where the characters fall in love, sing endlessly about how they would die for their lover, but all the way through you get the sense that the actors don’t like each other. All through the book, you get the sense thatContinue reading “Writing Romances that Last Beyond the Book”
The big picture of romance
What would you say is the point of romance? Note, I’m not asking the point of sex, but of romance. Having a crush on someone, someone having a crush on you, the wondering and dreaming, wooing and dating, the proposal and wedding day, and every day after that. What’s the point of it? Is itContinue reading “The big picture of romance”
Introducing a new series: Writing Romance Effectively
Who are your favourite fictional couples? Why do you love them so much? In some novels, watching the main characters go from hating to tolerating, working with to admiring, liking to loving, is a joy. As they slowly fall in love, we also fall in love with them and their relationship. A good romance feelsContinue reading “Introducing a new series: Writing Romance Effectively “
Was that it??
I admit that my last post was a last-ditch effort to motivate myself to start the next draft of my novel, An Experiment in Time and Memory An Immutable Past. And it worked! Kind of… (If you haven’t read my last post already, it will provide some context for this post 🙂 ) A weekContinue reading “Was that it??”
Four (more) things I’ve learnt while editing my novel
Wow, has it really been four more drafts? (Has anyone been keeping count? Because it might have just been three… I can’t remember anymore @_@) Amidst procrastinating the ninth (I think?) draft and wondering if this thing will EVER be finished, I’ve learnt a lot about writing and editing from An Experiment in Time andContinue reading “Four (more) things I’ve learnt while editing my novel “
A Lesson in Vivid Descriptions from Captain Phoebus
Descriptions are so hard. It’s hard enough getting all the important details down (including the ones I just take for granted as being there), let alone drawing my audience into the setting, making them feel like they’re in the world with my characters, caring for the same things. And once I feel like I’ve finallyContinue reading “A Lesson in Vivid Descriptions from Captain Phoebus”
Five Writing Tips for Newbies
I have to admit, I feel unqualified to be giving writing tips. I’m struggling to think of some (and this seemed like such a good idea two weeks ago…) and feeling called out by each of them XD. But these are the tips that have, I think, helped me the most so far. I hopeContinue reading “Five Writing Tips for Newbies”
Four Things I’ve Learnt While Editing my Novel
To commemorate starting the fourth draft of my novel, An Experiment in Time and Memory. Every time I work on my novel, I learn something new about my characters, my world, myself, and, most of all, the writing and editing processes. Editing is painful, but it’s worth the effort. The first draft of this bookContinue reading “Four Things I’ve Learnt While Editing my Novel”
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