So, here we have the final act. It's the easiest to write, but the hardest to write about; at least, I think so ( Read more... )

First, thanks to everyone who responded to this last week! Your questions and feedback were very much appreciated ( Read more... )

(This is x-posted from my own journal; after I posted it I started thinking how fascinating it would be to hear how the other FFF members handle their pacing/structure issues [and I know a few of you use this structure too], so I thought I'd pop it up here as well ( Read more... )

(x-posted)

So... I have news. *blushes*

My dark urban fantasy Unholy Ghosts--which my husband described as "Ghostbusters meets Escape From New York", set in a post-apocalyptic world where ghosts rose from the grave and killed a huge chunk of the population, and now they're kept under control by the iron-willed (in more ways than one) Church of ( Read more... )

(X-posted ( Read more... )

Since I started this little series I've been lucky enough to have some very interesting discussions about the qualities of a hero, and what people look for, and how characters you might not think of as being a hero or posessing heroic qualities still do have them.

But the essence of a hero is, he is heroic. Above all.

( Read more... )

(Otherwise known as Creating Chemistry).

Now we get to the really fun parts (hopefully).

A while ago I read what I still think is one of the best pieces of writing advice I've ever heard (and if anyone knows where it came from please tell me). I don't recall the exact wording of it, but the essence was this:

Whenever you introduce a character, ( Read more... )

So on Monday I posted a short list of characteristics most of my heroes have, and which I've noticed in a lot of other heroes. Today I'll show how those basic characteristics (or whichever ones you like and feel comfortable with) can be modified and added to in order to create distinct characters ( Read more... )

(I'm doing this series at my own blog this week, and it occurred to me it might be fun to post over here as well!)

Okay, first. I'm sure a lot of you know already that author Caitlin R. Kiernan is having a bit of difficulty with her health these days, and could use some help. This livejournal post tells how you can help, and links to what's going ( Read more... )

Top Ten Signs that a book was written by me:

1. Third person. I'm not a fan of first person and don't write in it. My romances are, of course, written from third omniscient, but my urban fantasy is strictly from the heroine's POV.

2. Absent Families. Either they're dead or they're just a bunch of jerks, but not one heroine I've ever written has ( Read more... )