Writer, poet, journalist, editor, and more
Here is a beginning to a short story that I wrote solely to get my mind going. However, I might expand on it in the future if I like the direction it takes. So, without further ado... Eventually, he stopped counting the cross-ties. The town was too far. The sun was draping the hills, climbing... Continue Reading →
The term "good antagonist" seems an oxymoron (even though many fictional antagonists are just as in the right morally as the protagonist). However, you should make your antagonist as well-rounded as possible. You don't want to make him impossible to defeat, but you don't want the protagonist to walk all over her either. To make... Continue Reading →
I find it rather funny that I'm devoting an entire post to my writing process, as if it's something radically new that will overturn the writing community. Unfortunately, I'm like most humans-- I mimic the habits and processes of others to an embarrassing level. I happen to also be the equivalent of a swing dancer... Continue Reading →
So, you have a premise laid out. Now comes the task of finding a hero or heroine that is interesting enough to develop sympathy with the readers and, for the most part, carry your book. If you have a premise or even a plot in mind, but still no major character to focus on, consider... Continue Reading →
So-- there it is. Your idea. You're knee-deep in the stream, and the current's moving fast. Suddenly, amid the pebbles and plants clinging relentlessly to the river bed, you see it. A nugget of gold nestled among the dirt. You reach into the biting cold water, gripping it in your palms. Now what? Instead of... Continue Reading →
Success in writing is hard to define. There are many processes and steps along the way that can mark progress, but what about success? Where can we afford, along the never-ending road, to take a step back and celebrate? Where are the milestones-- once a rough draft is completed, once a book is sold or... Continue Reading →
There is a fairly large debate in certain literary circles as to whether audiences are addressed or invoked whenever a writer produces a work. I didn't know this myself until I read a couple essays for my writing class. I, at least, feel that I can leave that argument to literary theorists. When I write,... Continue Reading →
Outlining is, for many writers, a necessary evil. Although not as complicated as plotting, it can still seem stifling for some peoples' creativity. That's why structures are so important-- they set up a basic framework, while still leaving plenty of wiggle room in-between. Most writers, in my opinion, use the Three Act Structure. It's been... Continue Reading →
Now in my second semester of college, I can look back on the first as a definite learning period, a time of trial and error. Nowhere else was this apparent was my schedule. Going in as an English major, my classes sapped all of my creative energy, leaving me with apparently nothing else left for... Continue Reading →
I'm one of those rare people that's actually still doing what they wanted to do in elementary school. You know, the dream job that you're sure 90% of your classmates will change their minds about. True, the job seemed (A) a whole lot easier and (B) a whole lot more rewarding-- but that's beside the... Continue Reading →
Michael Nellis 