Out of Character
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Movement, from Arcs to Silences
November 10, 2021
I read Jeff Vandermeer’s Wonderbook last year, which had some great little trees of wisdom within the twee forest. He discusses opening scenes early in the...
Passive Characters: Good If Thematic
July 5, 2021
This post contains semi-obscured spoilers for Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro and Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas. On the websites of literary...
Your Ideal Reader: Who Are They? Is It You? Is It You+5?
June 12, 2021
Do you have an ideal reader in mind when you write? I hear this piece of advice a lot: that you should envision The Person you’re writing for, and write only...
The Case for (and Sometimes Against) Genre Hybridization
May 7, 2021
Welcome to May’s edition of OUT OF CHARACTER! Monthly roundups will still be a part of this newsletter, but they’ll appear at the bottom of the page. * I...
On "Writing Advice": Make Reasoned Choices With Intention
April 3, 2021
Welcome to OUT OF CHARACTER, Buttondown edition! ICYMI, I have ported my newsletter off of Substack in light of their questionable platforming & monetization...
What Drives Your Story?
March 4, 2021
February Total: 37,499 words (goal: 41,667 —4,268 under)31,130 fiction6,369 nonfiction Read this month (links go to my Instagram reviews where applicable):...
Reading like a Writer: What Kind of Learner Are You?
February 1, 2021
January Totals 54,354 words (goal: 41,667 —12,687over)41,740 fiction12,614 nonfiction (I’m counting “content” posts like these toward my monthly wordcount...
Are You an Explorer, Finisher, or Sharer?
January 16, 2021
Not to surprise you, but I’m big on process as a writer. I’m constantly trying to enhance and refine my skills in as many areas of writing as I can and weave...
The Fallow Fields and the Pursuit of Newness
December 11, 2020
What happened to me? No—[takes your hand]—what happened to us? I announced on Twitter I was taking a hiatus on this newsletter, which was partly a forced...
On NaNoWriMo: It's Fine For Some
November 2, 2020
OCTOBER TOTALS Words: 34,048 (goal: 35,417)2 projects (I am trying SO HARD to focus)17 days written (way below goal of 23—I had freelance work that took me...
Five-Act Structures: Exploring Worlds, Solving Mysteries
October 27, 2020
Previously in this series: Three-Act Structure: Centering Brisk PlotsFour-Act Structure: Centering Character Depth Five-act structures have been standard in...
Compassion vs. Derision in Thrillers
October 19, 2020
When I’m having trouble focusing on my book, I’ll often pick up a thriller to give my mind a break. It’s basically like watching an episode of Law & Order:...
Four-Act Structures: Prioritizing Character Arcs
October 13, 2020
Previously in this series: Three-Act Structure: Prioritizing Brisk Plot This is a bit of a weird one, partly because the four-act structure is “fake” and...
Rethinking "Sad" Percentages (September Roundup)
October 5, 2020
SEPTEMBER TOTALS Words: 37,345 (goal: 33,333)7 projects25 days writtenYTD total: 318,961 In light of my regular successes at breaking my 33k monthly goal, I...
Three-Act Structures: Prioritizing Brisk Plot
September 29, 2020
Until recently, I was what NaNoWriMo calls a “pantser”—someone who starts writing with absolutely no sense of where they’re trying to go. Around three years...
Scaffolding and Ivy
September 21, 2020
As a writer, I like to deliver context to my reader. This makes me a great novel writer and a godawful short story writer. The best short stories have an...
Combatting the Formless Dread
September 14, 2020
The Formless Dread reminds me in form of The Dark by Robert Munsch. Like the Dark, the Formless Dread tumbles out of a cookie jar one day and progressively...
Semesters, Structures, and Schedules, Oh My
September 7, 2020
AUGUST TOTALS 46,613 words (goal: 33,333)8 projects27 days written(!)YTD total: 281,616 (goal: 266,667—well on track to hit yearly goal of 400k) Classic ‘me’...
Ode to Collaborative Storytelling
August 31, 2020
This weekend was the four-year anniversary of my first-ever RPG campaign (still running!). We were meeting (remotely) after a six-month COVID hiatus, and...
"Creative work," Ritual, and Disruption in Writing
August 24, 2020
I have a hard time striking balance in most areas of my life: sleep, coffee intake, video games, time spent facedown in the cat. Never is my all-or-nothing...
Anatomy of a Ghost Story
August 17, 2020
I’ve been trying to catch up on horror as a genre. I thought I didn’t much care for horror until recently—a pretty hilarious mistake in my self-conception,...
When the Work Is Hard: Make It a Game
August 10, 2020
Last week, I talked about the value of taking a more holistic approach to craft. This week, I’m flying in the face of all that to talk brass tacks: how to...
Earnest and the Importance of Hitting Wordcount
August 3, 2020
JULY TOTALS 34,572 words (goal: 41,667 — 7,095 short)21 days written Year-to-Date Totals 234,943 words (of 500,000)(July goal: 291,667 — 56,724 short) I’m...
Welcome to OUT OF CHARACTER, a newsletter on writing, craft, and what inspires us to create
July 18, 2020
Welcome to OUT OF CHARACTER, a weekly newsletter about writing, craft, and what inspires us to create. By night, I'm an aspiring SF&F author; by day, I'm an...