3 Writing Tips Gleaned from Ambrose Bierce

Right now my students are reading Ambrose Bierce’s “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge“.  The short story always brings forth different reactions from my students, mostly that some of them see the ending before it hits them, but this is because Bierce is dropping hints throughout the text that illustrate the fact of the surprise

Using Setting to Develop a Plot

I’ve seen many different articles around the inter-webs about plot development.  Usually there are two schools of thought: Create highly developed character bios and then they will inform what kind of plot needs to develop. Create a highly developed plot and then the characters will take shape based on the plot created. I have another

When Designing a Setting, Use the Kitchen Sink

Last night I wrote over 1500 words on my latest WIP, and that was just backstory.  I have only crafted three characters, one fully crafted and the other two somewhat realized.  Mostly I’ve been working on the setting since it is realized completely from my own imagination. As I follow in the footsteps of J.R.R.

Notes from Middle Earth: Every Novel Needs A Detailed Back Story

Backstories are extremely important in creating a setting. We must write a history, an ecology, a governmental system and many other things to make a believable setting.

3 Reasons We Get Bored With Our Own Plot

I am currently working on a short story collection for an upcoming book release.  I’ve cobbled together some short stories already published on Literary Juice and elsewhere as well as some brand spanking new short stories to send chills up my reader’s spine. However, one short story has really been tough to write, and I