RacheDrache

Hey there! I'm Rach. We just met in chat, and then I kinda stalked you and found this thread. I have a BA in Linguistics and eventually want my PhD ...

Short stories and novels are two entirely different animals--their plots and story arcs and characters all work in different ways. Of course they're different to a degree, but you're overstating ...

Here's a brief story: I was eight when I decided I wanted to be an author. When I announced this goal to my older sister, she said I ought to ...

Detail should contribute something to the whole. Earn its keep. Pull its own weight. If it doesn't give more than it takes--at the minimum, it takes the reader's time--then it ...

Do you need help punctuating a sentence? Are you unsure whether your grammar is correct? Worried you've made a mistake? The Grammar Elves are here to help! Simply post the ...

Always the rebel, I'm going to the avoid "writers write" theory and just go with my honest answer minus any philosophizing. "Real" writers, I'd say, have some kind of writing-based ...

So, you had me at deconstruction of farmboy hero fantasy. It's a fabulous idea. I agree with what the others said, too. Cliche is half in the "how." That said, ...

The butler did it. Blow something up. Kill a character. Introduce a new character. Have someone spill the beans. Storm the castle! Escape from the castle. The knight gets the ...

12th Century England was not glamorous, even for the wealthy. If you want grand castles and pretty dresses, you'll want to look elsewhere in time. Not that there weren't princesses ...

There are colleges that require you to "show you like to write"? Most writing programs are pretty...eh when it comes to going in, I have never been to one that ...

The big question, in my opinion, is "Why?" Why is your character quiet? Why is she shy, quiet, reserved, etc? Motivations mean the world of difference. Maybe she comes from ...

I agree with those before me! But, I have the added advantage of having been in your position once upon a time, so what I have to add is based ...

*claps*

I'm here to offer the rebel perspective. Don't write any more terrible stories. Don't write any more terrible characters. Don't write any more terrible dialogue. Get better at writing instead, ...

I don't know how I did it. My junior year of high school, when I was taking the 3 hardest AP courses on campus, was on the newspaper, and involved ...