Category: Writing

Plot and Theme, the Enemies of Character?

In Michael Chabon’s essay “On Daemons & Dust”, he mentions that plot and theme are the enemies of character. It’s an interesting statement that a little fiction writing can force someone to appreciate. Almost every paragraph involves an authorial decision, “Do I let this character be real” = deep and uncontrollable or “Do I take…


2013 Book Fair

The Japanese publishing industry’s book fair was an interesting experience. Seeing thousands and thousands of new books with nothing but an outward-facing spine to show for the months or years their authors and editors put into them, languishing on the shelves of countless publishers had me thinking about the struggle publishers (not just in books,…


Third Book Stats

I’ve finally finished the fourth draft of my latest novel-length story, which I started on November 1st of last year, as I’ve done in years past. Considering I finished the fourth draft of my previous novel-length story in October of last year, I’ve gotten a lot faster. Some of that is due to more experience…


A Tale of Two Stories

One is a story about a girl forced to deal with an abusive parent who uses her imagination and a special set of paintings to escape her torment. The other is a story about a cafe, the only place where the last of humanity can come together for a cup of joe. Which one will…


Why Write?

Probably one of the most common questions asked of someone who takes hundreds of hours (hours they could have used to do something else) to perform an act that will likely never bear any fruit, and, even if it were to, would result in a very sad fruit. Why write? “Because I can’t not write”…


Halfway Marks are Always Good Marks

Today I crossed the halfway mark on the second editing pass of the horror novel I started last November. What is it about that magical 50%? Whether it’s a bicycle race, reading a novel or writing one, somehow hitting that 50% mark makes it feel like the task is doable. I’ve got the hard part…


Imaginary People Don’t Come Naturally

I’ve wondered why I dig down so deep into the heads of the characters I write that I have trouble climbing out of the holes, when at the same time, I’ve always had trouble understanding what others in real life think or feel. Then it came to me: constantly having to imagine what others think…


Third Book, Third Draft

Starting this week, I’ve finally dug my heels into the third draft on the third novel-length story. It’s interesting how the evolution of emotion always goes the same way: 1st draft – why am I writing this? 2nd draft – wow, this is going to be a lot of work… 3rd draft – hey, this…