Last November, I related my bubbling and excitable story that StoryShop was the perfect tool for writers. I likened it to having a private Wikia. A perfect place to plan your novel, D&D campaign, anthology, the next epic fantasy with 500 characters... Visually beautiful and easy to navigate. A notebook that made sense and had… Continue reading StoryShop has let me down, so I’ve found something better
You know what's awesome? Viewing the human condition through the lens of artificial intelligence that we have created, which then looks back at us. Do you know what's not cool? Defining the human condition in sweeping generalisations and assuming an A.I. would care about exactly the same things we do. Hi, my name's Willow, and I… Continue reading Detroit: Becoming Human | The Concept of Freedom Applied to Robotics
That's all I've really got to say right now. Especially his face.
Part one Part two Part three Last time I updated, I was scraping the barrel of misery in search of a writing epiphany, and I hadn't met my deadline. The good news: I managed to finish my edits and hand in the new draft of my novel just before Christmas Eve. The bad news: silence. My novel… Continue reading Getting Published: part four
I'm procrastinating by writing this post, let me just put that out there. Click here to read part one and part two. I didn't make the November 1st deadline. Once I figured out how to fix the big problems of my story, I worked day and night, every day, to meet the target. But hey, I… Continue reading Getting published: part three
Belatedly following on from my last publishing post, about how I met an agent willing to give me and my novel a chance, it's time I updated on what happened next. So, after our feedback meeting, Suresh gave me a couple of big plot points and changes to think about: Maybe cut a character (I'm thinking: I… Continue reading Getting Published: part two
For the first time in three years, my schedule is completely blank until mid September. Iâm actively looking for new manuscripts to edit, and Iâd like to aggressively slash my prices. My rates are never this cheap, so I strongly encourage you to act fast because my inbox gets flooded every time I do this. [âĤ]… Continue reading Epic Cheap: 50% Off Editing Special
Do you have a business card as a writer or author? Have you thought about it? Business cards are a good idea with lots of uses.
Just a quick tip: First, make sure your card stands out. A signature color, logo, or something that draws attention is good. Also make sure that you use a legible font and include only details you want widely public (for example, I omitted my address and phone number).
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This is something budding writers often ask me. "But what is narrative style? Why is it something to be aware of?" Narrative style is tricky to pin down. Style is tone. Don't forget that the narrative is essentially someone's voice. The narrator is a character, not simply words dictating what happens in the story. Even… Continue reading What is Narrative Style? The Condensed Answer
FOREWORD: I'm currently moving a lot of my articles from Squidoo over to my blog as Squidoo has declared almost all of my articles as spam. This is one of them. I've decided to totally migrate to my blog because I'm sick of fighting my corner on their site. Create an Authentic Feeling Enviroment One… Continue reading A Writer’s Guide to Building a Steampunk World
I always appreciatedâand what I appreciate even more now, in the wake of dozens of post-apocalyptic series that didnât work nearly as wellâwas that the camera always kept its eye firmly turned toward the people, not the ruins. --Â Â Todd VanDerWerff I read that quote a while back at the very bottom of an article… Continue reading Building strong narratives in the post-apocalyptic genre
I have a tumblr blog that keeps track of all the things I find useful for writing or art-making. It's gathering a fair chunk of content now and I figured other people might also find it useful. It's called: pensandpaintbrushes Everything is tagged, so you can find subjects easily. Here are just a few… Continue reading For writers and artists: prompts, resources, inspiration, motivation
Hello, buccaneers! By tomorrow morning, week one of NaNoWriMo will be trailing in the dust behind us and then begins the week two push. But let's take a five minute break. I mean, well freaking done for all the words you've written. Phew, imagine if you'd never started? You'd really be nowhere. So let's stop… Continue reading The #NaNoWriMo Week One Quizz!
Excuse me while I just sit here in stunned fear. That's right, NaNoWriMo begins in six hours and I'm cacking myself. Why, Willow? You've done this five years in a row now? Yes, little minion voice, I have. But previously I didn't have to grow up and do Shitty Adult Things, all whilst drowning under… Continue reading I Can’t Believe It’s NaNo-Freakin-WriMo Again
Writing a novel or a short story is challenging at the best of times. There's plot holes to consider, bathrooms to be cleaned, food to be eaten and, sometimes, motivation to be found. I've been writing novels for the past seven years and yet I still suffer from chronic procrastination. When my Deadline disappears I… Continue reading 6 Ways for Writers to Procrastinate and Still be Productive!
Willow H. Wood 