Tag Archives: writing

Flash Writing Tips: Three Rules I Follow When Creating Magic

Posted on May 4, 2012 by dbjackson

This post is about creating magic.  Literally.  More to the point, it’s about creating a viable magic system for your fantasy story or novel.  A couple of months back I wrote about worldbuilding and might have alluded briefly to magic … Continue reading →

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Flash Writing Tip: Research — How Much Is Enough?

Posted on April 26, 2012 by dbjackson

Researching the Thieftaker books and stories has been a great deal of fun.  Lots of work, yes, but incredibly interesting and gratifying.  And weaving that research into the text of the books has been fun, too.  There is something incredibly … Continue reading →

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Writing Exercise: Character and Voice

Posted on April 19, 2012 by dbjackson

Developing our writing voice for a story or a character can be incredibly difficult; it can also be quite rewarding when we get it right.  The key for me is stepping out of “myself” and forcing myself into the psyche … Continue reading →

Posted in Character, Friendship, Fun, kids, Novels, parenting, Reading, Writing, Writing Life | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Great Debate: Plotting Versus Pantsing

Posted on April 17, 2012 by dbjackson

No doubt you’ve heard this discussion before.  Some writers rely on advanced plotting when writing their books.  They outline in advance of actually writing the book, sometimes plot point by plot point, sometimes chapter by chapter, sometimes even line by … Continue reading →

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Writing Tip: What to do with All Those Rules

Posted on April 11, 2012 by dbjackson

You’ve heard the rules before:  Don’t write in first person.  Don’t write in present tense.  Don’t start your book or story with dialogue.  Don’t use adverbs.  Don’t use said-bookisms.  Don’t switch point of view from one character to another in … Continue reading →

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Flash Writing Tip: Accepting Criticism from an Editor

Posted on April 6, 2012 by dbjackson

I’m here at Marcon, and it’s late.  I’ve had a full day — a long drive, a panel, a signing; I’m ready to go to sleep. But today’s panel was on “How To Be Edited,” and since I was the … Continue reading →

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New Story Is Out!!

Posted on April 2, 2012 by dbjackson

The newest Ethan Kaille story is out and available for all to read.  “A Memory of Freedom,” which is about Ethan’s first job as a thieftaker — the beginning of his new career after he had served 14 years laboring … Continue reading →

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Review: The Hunger Games

Posted on March 24, 2012 by dbjackson

Last night I went with a group to see the movie adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ YA bestseller, The Hunger Games.  Our group consisted of seven teenagers, all of whom had read at least the first book in the Hunger Games … Continue reading →

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Today In History: Lighting the Fuse

Posted on March 22, 2012 by dbjackson

On this day, in 1765, the English Parliament passed legislation that would come to be known in the North American colonies as the Stamp Act.  In the wake of the Seven Years’ War against France (referred to in the colonies … Continue reading →

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Flash Writing Tips: What To Do When You’re Stuck

Posted on March 17, 2012 by dbjackson

I’m going to put the flash in “Flash Writing Tips” and keep this one really brief.  But just because this is short, that doesn’t mean that it’s unimportant. This is one of those things that happens to all writers at … Continue reading →

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