Take Ten Archives
I love reading shit on debunking misconceptions and myths. Not because I like proving people wrong. I’m usually one of the folks believing them. But I find it interesting how these things get started and how, without a shred or proof, everyone believes simply because enough people say it’s true. So I’ve compiled a few misconceptions I believed that turned out to be bullshit....more
Some people need complete silence when they write. They can’t focus if there’s something else pestering the back of their mind. I need music, but not just any music. I alter my playlists to specifically cater to the scene I’m writing or outlining. It puts me in the right mood for the scene and drives the writing forward. What are some of your favorite songs to write to?...more
We love technology. Everything that’s awesome today is thanks to the advancement of it. Robots are awesome…on the surface at least. We’ve got military drones, autonomous androids with the ability to make decisions, nanobots—this should not excite us. Earth is looking more and more like a sci-fi novel, and we’re all “Yay for science!” But think about robots for a minute. Use your writer’s brain and consider all the shit robots can do today. Depending on how we go from here with our mad robotic skills, the future just might be a sci-fi novel. Think I’m a paranoid freak? Just stop for a moment and consider the shit modern robots can do. Wait, I’ve done some of the thinking for you....more
Creating believable characters is hard, and villains are apparently harder. We want the hero to get away, so he can’t be too smart. For some writers, this apparently means he must be borderline retarded instead. Ten signs you’ve created the dumbest villain ever:...more
As fiction writers, we can relate to liars. We make shit up for fun and try to convince our audience that it’s real, despite the “fiction” label plastered to the back cover of our lies. Sometimes, like the first on our list, the best liars combine the two....more
I do enjoy blogging for the most part. I am fascinated by the way in which smarter folks than me have deconstructed the process and come up with ways to make your blog the most kickass blog in the universe. However, there are many things about blogging that piss me off. I’ve narrowed it down to ten, because none of us wants to read three pages of rant, right?...more
We’ve had it with sparkly vampires, werewolves, ghosts… you name it, we’ve seen it. If you’re thinking of writing a creature fantasy, how about you try one of these on for size....more
As writers, we’re always looking for some kind of quirk to bestow upon our characters to make them stand out. Red hair, a gimp, a scar in the shape of a sailboat on their clavicle. Or perhaps they’ll have an unusual phobia....more
We’ve all thought about it – our hypothetical last meal. Would you go all out, send the warden on his way with a shopping list? Would you require them to enlist your mom in making her famous meatloaf surprise? Share your last meal requests in the comments. No, we won’t honor them. Get off your butt and cook for yourself. As for me, I’d ask for the tomatillo chicken enchiladas from Barrillo restaurant in Minneapolis and a pepperoni and pineapple pizza from Papa Johns with extra garlic sauce....more
As a writer, I go through phases of absorption and expulsion. Reading and writing, respectively. Having just finished a couple of weeks of brain-sponging, I felt it my duty to share with you mongrels more of my favorite lines from recently read novels. Chew them up, swallow them, osmosis the genius and expel magic onto your own work....more
