There's been a lot of pushback lately--I mostly see it on Twitter--from authors who say writing advice focuses way too much on plot and character, on spare, lean, energetic story-telling rather than the craft of writing: the lyrical, the quiet, the rhythmic. And I'm certainly guilty of that here. My writing advice on this blog …
Your First Publication: Don’t Forget to Enjoy It
In the last week I met two people who had just published their first book. I congratulated them, but I could see the look in their eyes. One I knew all too well. Days after I published my first novel, Monster Island, I was on the floor of my apartment, so wracked with anxiety and …
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Good Advice: Character Motivations
When was the last time you had to make a big decision in your life? Was it easy? Was there one specific reason why you made the decision you did, or were you conflicted, with several factors pulling you in different directions? Typically real human beings are under the constant sway of multiple urges, desires, …
Trouble Your Darlings: Bringing Life to Pallid Plots
The premise of your story is fantastic, and the characters are well-defined. Yet something seems missing. Your plot is just going through the motions, or maybe the central challenge of the story just seems too easy for the characters to overcome. It's not... bad, it's just not exciting. Or funny. Or stirring. It's too straightforward …
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Politics in Genre Writing
Short answer? Go for it. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. You've probably heard someone tell you this by now. That they don't want "politics" in science fiction, or horror, or Disney Princess fanfic. Of course we all know what they really mean. They don't want you to write anything that disagrees with their personal …
Love Stories
For Valentine's day, I thought I'd write down a few thoughts on one of the hardest things in fiction--writing effective love stories. This is one of those things that's so much easier to do in a screenplay. Of course Trinity falls in love with Neo--have you seen him? He looks just like Keanu Reeves! In …
When You’re Stuck: Things to Try
There are days when you just can't write. You can have the world's best idea, be sitting in the world's best writing chair... and nothing comes. When it feels like every sentence you put down just takes you farther from what you wanted to say. And you know what? Sometimes there is no solution, except …
Working with Editors
So you've sold your book to a publisher. Maybe your agent went toe-to-toe with a greedy editor and convinced them to give you your damn money. Maybe you had to do the negotiations yourself--either way, you've experienced the horror of professional writing now. You've come face to face with the most existentially terrifying fact of …
DAVID WELLINGTON 