As a writer, few things compare to the sheer joy of seeing your name alongside your work in print. Even though I’m now a transplant to the Midwest, I remain a proud contributor to South Magazine. The summer 2022 issue marks the most pieces I’ve contributed to a single issue to date (six pieces!).
Category Archives: Writing
How do real people feature in your fiction?
Even if you try your hardest to avoid any accidental resemblance to someone you know, the real people you’ve met will show in your writing one way or another.
How to Bring a Compelling Character to Life
Well-written stories make both the good guys and bad guys compelling characters. They make your world more immersive for your readers and your characters more fun to root for (or against).
Draft First, Outline Later
My main struggle with following an outline is that if things don’t feel natural when I’m writing, I get an itchy feeling under my fingernails. I can’t force myself to write through something I know isn’t going to work.
The Next Big Thing: Blog Hop
I was tagged in this Blog Hop business a while ago. I meant to get on it right away, but a few things pushed ahead of it. Now that I’m less busy, I can indulge in this and talk about my own writing. As part of the rules, I have to explain the rules: GiveContinue reading “The Next Big Thing: Blog Hop”
The Best and Worst of Critique Comments #2
So we had another full-class critique of short stories. This time, the story had to be 500 words (as opposed to the last story, which was 8-10 pages). After some of the comments I received last time, I figured I’d get another healthy dose of nonsense with the occasional constructive comment. My classmates did notContinue reading “The Best and Worst of Critique Comments #2”
The Best and Worst of Critique Comments
I finally got to present my short story to my fiction class, and the comments I received were worth the wait. (I had food poisoning the day I was scheduled for critique, so I was in limbo for two weeks.) As confident as I am in my writing ability, I was nervous because my classmatesContinue reading “The Best and Worst of Critique Comments”
Switzy Thoughts 