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Handwriting for Fiction Authors

Handwriting for Fiction Authors

Posted on by R.M. Archer

Today’s post is part one of a two-part collaboration with Julia at Lit Aflame! I’ll be talking about how fiction writers can use handwriting/what benefits come from writing on paper, and she’ll be talking about the benefits of typing instead. Her post will be going up on her blog tomorrow, so be sure to check it out!

I don’t often handwrite my fiction. I can type waaaaaaay faster than I can handwrite, so I do that instead. But there are aspects of story-writing that can definitely benefit from writing on paper, and here are a few of them.

Writing on Paper for the Initial Idea

When I have a story idea Continue reading “Handwriting for Fiction Authors” →

Character Profiles – Help or Waste?

Character Profiles – Help or Waste?

Posted on by R.M. Archer

When creating characters, you’re often told to use character profiles. But do they really help you flesh out your characters or are they just laundry lists of useless facts you’ll never use? I think they usually tend to be a combination, and it depends on the profile. There are some character profiles with more hard-hitting questions and there are some with more shallow questions, and how much you get out of a profile depends somewhat on what the balance is.

Character profiles are also more or less helpful for each writer, since every writer is different. I tend to like them because they give me things to think about regarding the character that I won’t necessarily think of on my own, and then a place to write them down, but others just find them time-consuming and would rather learn about their characters through writing. Neither of these is wrong, and I’ve used both methods in the past.

So what should you look for or put on a character profile? Continue reading “Character Profiles – Help or Waste?” →

Why Writing Isn’t a Solo Activity

Why Writing Isn’t a Solo Activity

Posted on by R.M. Archer

People always talk about writing being an introverted profession. We sit at our desks for hours on end, silently producing words and sharing them with few people, until we finish it and have to share it with an editor and then the world. But writing shouldn’t be an isolated activity. We need help now and then (from actual people, not just Google), and we need support. So let’s get into Continue reading “Why Writing Isn’t a Solo Activity” →

Finding Your Why

Finding Your Why

Posted on by R.M. Archer

The Dark War Trilogy is really hard to write. Well, at least the last two books. I’ve been working on The Shadow Raven since before last NaNoWriMo, and since NaNoWriMo I’ve made very little progress on it. I’ve totally stalled out multiple times and been weighed down by the guilt of not writing, and even guilt for not loving my writing. I mean, this trilogy was my passion project, wasn’t it? Why is it so difficult?

In times like these, when writing is just hard—sometimes emotionally draining—when the words just aren’t coming… These are the times we need to remember why we’re writing this story rather than one of the other billion ideas out there. Why did we decide on this story?

I know, a lot Continue reading “Finding Your Why” →

A Guide to Blogging for the Fiction Writer

A Guide to Blogging for the Fiction Writer

Posted on by R.M. Archer

Almost everyone says you need a blog as part of your author platform. It’s a great way to connect with readers, and the core of it is writing, which is what we authors are good at. It’s pretty easy to find out how to do the technical stuff to start a blog, but you set up your blog and then… what? How do you actually use fiction blogging to attract readers and build a platform? What do you write about? You actually have quite a few options. Continue reading “A Guide to Blogging for the Fiction Writer” →