D.N. Bryn
Speculative Fiction and Beyond
Tag: writing advice
Speculative Elephants: More About Description.
(A continuation of the feverish analysis in this post.) Let’s now consider a reader who has no idea what an elephant is. We the writer want to present our reader with words aligned in just the right way that we paint a picture of an elephant…
Descriptions as Elephants: the Happy Medium.
There are a lot of odd rules floating around about descriptions (some of which are useful and others… not so much), but to form writing theories that any writer can apply to their own work without losing their personal style, we often need to…
Not all books are made equal.
(Not all books are made equal.) The making of not all books is equal. Some stories take ages to write, and longer to edit. Some you can knock out in what feels like an instant. Some are long. Some are short. Some are complex….
How to Staying Motivated While You Write: On the days you want to give up.
This is a very simple question in that I have answered before, and yet a very hard one because the way I stay motivated isn’t going to work for everyone. How do I, Bryn, stay motivated? Flexible outlines. I have a lovely outline that tells me I have so…
What not to (not) write in fantasy.
I’ve seen some posts going around on what not to write in fantasy, many of which amount to: Don’t write evil kings. Don’t write people who are evil for the sake of evil. Don’t write bullies. Don’t write villains at all actually. Don’t write mentors. Don’t…
The Stuff In Between The Dialogue.
Though we don’t usually need a lot going on outside the dialogue itself, it often feels static or otherwise unnatural if you have a entire conversation with dialogue, a few tags, and nothing else. But we never want to add extra words for the…
Every scene furthers the plot.
Some writers confuse “you must further the plot with every scene” with “heavy plot handling must happen constantly.” (Which is a shame, because the latter is not only incorrect, but can make your character’s interactions stiff and boring.) It’s okay to let your characters…
Writing Your First Novel Right.
While I have a book published (siren! pirates! okay yeah enough with the marketing), I’m still editing the first novel I wrote. It’s okay if your first novel takes a long time. It’s okay if you have to rewrite it and rewrite it and then thoroughly edit…
Writing Relationships: Enemies to Lovers.
These types of relationships can be some of the most interesting and enjoyable, both to read and write, because they show us many sides of the same characters and the growth from a hatred to mixed feelings and finally to genuine love and acceptance…
Writing Redemption Arcs.
What is a redemption arc? “Redemption: An act of redeeming or atoning for a fault or mistake.” An act, implying action, which is created by choices, which just happens to be the basis of character development. Some writers confuse redemption arcs with things they are not, and…
Our Bloody Pearl:
After a year of voiceless captivity, a bloodthirsty siren fights to return home while avoiding the lure of a suspiciously friendly and eccentric pirate captain.
