Sickening Character Types You Must Stop Using
By OFW editor:
Renée Miller
Publish Date: May 25, 2013
There are only so many types of characters to choose from, and now and then we’re going to see a character more than once. That’s okay. You can totally make it your own and your reader will love you for it. Sometimes, though, writers give into the temptation to use really sickening stock characters as their protagonists and villains and this is where you run into trouble. If you don’t take the time to put your unique spin on a stock character, and you don’t put a little work into making him or her make sense, you are annoying. Sickening character types are boring and readers don’t want to relate to them. There are far more of these than just your good old Mary Sue.
...more
What does your favorite drink say about you?
By OFW editor:
Renée Miller
Publish Date: May 24, 2013
Once upon a time, in a land far, far away (okay it was Tweed) I tended bar. While standing behind that scarred slab of wood night after night, I learned a lot about the people slobbering and falling down around me. Much like your job, your car, and your clothes, your go-to drink says a lot about your personality. In terms of writers, it’s what you drink in the privacy of your writing cave that counts. The drinks you slam into your characters also give the reader certain impressions you might not want to make. Do you doubt me? You’re probably drunk. ...more
What your favorite punctuation says about you
By OFW editor:
Renée Miller
Publish Date: May 22, 2013
Many writers have a love-hate relationship with punctuation, but we all tend to use one type over all the rest. Do you love commas or apostrophes? Exclamation points or dashes? Look through your stories or novels immediately after completing the first draft and you can easily see which one it is that you favor. If you’ve got two running neck-and-neck, you’re innovatively annoying. That’s fantastic! Let’s have a very unscientific look at what your favorite punctuation says about you and your writing. And yes, my favorite is on this list too. Can you guess which one it is?
...more
Ten Conversation Starters to Help Make You Look Smart
By OFW editor:
Renée Miller
Publish Date: May 21, 2013
Because writers are supposed to be smart, right? Sometimes it’s tough to find something to say when you’re in a terrifying crowd of people, or worse, sitting face to face with a stranger. So what do you do? Sit there and let them squirm in your awkward silence? No, just rattle off a random fact or two and they’ll be so impressed at your obvious intelligence, they’ll go somewhere else and leave you the hell alone.
...more
Apocalypse Survival Guide: For the Person Who Has Everything but a Plan
By OFW editor:
Renée Miller
Publish Date: May 20, 2013
Okay, it’s 2012, the final year of Earth as we know it. So, if you are like me, you’ll have a plan ready just in case those whackjobs are right about the upcoming apocalypse. What? You don’t? Good thing you all have me to watch your backs. Even smart people who know better have an apocalypse survival plan. The Centers for Disease Control even has an article about surviving a zombie apocalypse.
No seriously. Now that you see the importance of this Take Ten, let’s examine what might cause an apocalypse:
- A major political shift that affects the stability of world super powers, and leads to widespread panic, economic instability and worldwide famine
- A worldwide pandemic
- Nuclear war
- A mega volcano eruption
- An asteroid impact
…and zombies. Now here’s your apocalypse survival guide. Since you’re the unlucky bastard who made it out alive, you should try to stay that way.
...more
Ten Reasons why your main characters can’t be together
By OFW editor:
Renée Miller
Publish Date: May 19, 2013
By OFW Member Maril Swan
Many romance novels use the "so close, yet so far away" conflict, in which the main characters love each other, but they just can't seem to get together. This creates tension and anticipation for the reader, but sometimes the writer is less than imaginative when it comes to what is keeping her characters apart. Here are ten commonly used reasons why your main characters can't be together that you might want to avoid. ...more
Get Inspired: Ten Conspiracy Theories that Make Great Fiction
By OFW editor:
Renée Miller
Publish Date: May 18, 2013
Conspiracy theories are a writer’s dream. I wish I had more conspiracy theorists in my life, because they’re brilliant at concocting plots I’d take months to dream up. Need inspiration? Type “Conspiracy Theories” into Google and soak it all up. Here are a few to get you started. Oh, and PS: These are theories which (to my knowledge) have never been proven or validated in any way. So don't go quoting it as fact. You hear me? ...more
Ten Things You Need to Know About BDSM
By OFW editor:
Katrina Monroe
Publish Date: May 17, 2013
The bestseller of questionable quality, Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James, received some pretty loud backlash for the inaccurate and, some would argue, dangerous, portrayal of the BDSM lifestyle. Better late than never. Here is a Take Ten just for you, E.L. James. Are you paying attention? Good.
...more
How to Stop Making Excuses for Not Writing
By OFW editor:
Renée Miller
Publish Date: May 15, 2013
I hear excuse after excuse from people who “want” to write, but… Man, do you know how whiny you all sound? I’m not saying I don’t do the same from time to time, because I do. That’s why I’m the perfect person to help you stop making excuses. I’ve been there, done that, and learned that I’m full of shit. If you’re a writer, these excuses won’t stop you from writing. If they are, get your shit together or forget about it.
...more
Body Language: Ten Ways to Show How Your Character is Feeling
By OFW editor:
Renée Miller
Publish Date: May 14, 2013
The worst part of getting advice like "show, don't tell" is that writers like to throw it out there, but they don't seem to want to take the time to explain it. I find where many writers tend to tell when showing is best, is when they're trying to convey how a character feels. Body language is so easy to use, and it gives the reader a visual of what's going on, without dumbing shit down with "he was angry" and "she felt sad" kind of writing. The key to showing emotion is to observe. Watch how people in your everyday life show what they're feeling and use those little gestures and expressions to do the same with your characters. Here are a few I've made note of along the way. If you've got more, I'd love to add them to my "character" files, so please don't be greedy. Feel free to share....more
