If you're working on NaNoWriMo, don't forget to take time off to spend with your friends and family. And make sure you eat some pumpkin pie! If anyone offers you sweet potato pie and claims it's the same thing--or better--please do me a favor and give them a nasty look.
The Dreaded Infodump
Exposition is a crucial part of any story. It's how you create your world and how you share it with your reader. Yet it's also a great way to bring your narrative flow to a crashing halt and bore anyone who was kind enough to pick up your book. Writers often decry the "infodump", the …
Three Act Structure
There are, of course, an infinite number of ways to write a book. In these articles I've been outlining how I do it, because that's what I know to write about, but there are no binding rules, no arbitrary guidelines. That said, there are some structural... suggestions that can benefit almost any writer. Stories can …
NaNoWriMo Tips
I'm a huge fan of National Novel Writing Month. I think it's one of the best ways to get people inspired to work on that novel they've always dreamed of writing. Structure is a writer's best friend (even when sometimes it feels like a frenemy). Every year I try to post daily writing tips for …
Singularity 3GS
“Please, please come in. Can I get you anything? Coffee? Water? Okay. Let’s just have a seat. We have a lot to discuss and a couple of decisions to make, but I assure you, we’ll keep this as painless as possible. You’ve come to the right place. “I might begin by offering my condolences. No, …
FORBIDDEN SUNS is out now!
FORBIDDEN SUNS, the thrill-packed conclusion to the Silence trilogy, is available now wherever books are sold. This third volume finds Commander Lanoe closer than ever to his long-sought revenge--and to saving the human race. Can he trust his new allies to see him through the fight? Can even a legendary fighter pilot take on an …
The Lessons of Creepypasta
First there were campfire stories--which probably date back to the invention of language. These begat "urban legends": the Hook, the call coming from inside the house. The Russian scientists who accidentally drilled into hell. Stories without authors, folk tales for a more scientific age. Creepypasta is the direct descendant of that canon. It has its …
Come see Dave at New York Comic Con!
Yes, it's true--you can come see me, David Wellington/D. Nolan Clark, talk and make jokes at NYCC2017! I'll be doing a panel on Friday, October 6, 1:30 PM in room 1a24. What will this panel be about, you ask? Here's the official description from the NYCC site: The best science fiction novels pull from current …
Why I Don’t Believe in Willful Suspension of Disbelief
We're told, almost certainly apocryphally, that one of the earliest movies was of a train heading directly toward the camera, and that audiences who saw it ran for their lives. We're told that a truly great piece of fiction makes the reader forget they're reading a book (or seeing a movie, etc.) and immerses them …
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DAVID WELLINGTON 
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