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Minutes Can Make a Mark
My January writing for the most part was consistent, but with taking on a new job, a new role, February has soaked up every ounce of...
Chris Marshall
Feb 15, 20211 min read
Writing crisp dialogue. What does that even mean?
Sometimes advice comes along and strikes me as so obvious and so unhelpful at the same time. This is like saying "cut out all the boring...
Chris Marshall
Jan 10, 20211 min read
Failed Novels
It has taken me about five failed novels to really understand the truth of these words. When I envisioned the stories of my earlier...
Chris Marshall
Dec 7, 20201 min read
Opening Promises and DNF's
I've read first paragraphs that were long--too long, and some that were only one sentence, but even in those shorter ones there are...
Chris Marshall
Nov 24, 20201 min read
The NaNoWriMo Notebook
In preparation for NaNoWriMo I'm breaking out a fresh notebook today. I'm shooting for 30K to fill out my second half. This should give...
Chris Marshall
Oct 31, 20201 min read
Simple Goals, Complex Stories
I've mentioned in other posts that I've written more than a few books before my current WIP. There are many reasons why those failed as...
Chris Marshall
Oct 24, 20201 min read
Writing Mentors and Hard Lessons
You won't find this quotation in a book anywhere or on Goodreads. This was given to me personally by Canadian author, Richard Scrimger,...
Chris Marshall
Oct 17, 20201 min read
Tapping the Soul of Your Story Through Objects
I purchased this drinking horn from Grimfrost in Sweden, same with the curved belt knife. They're handmade, and completely awesome. The...
Chris Marshall
Oct 3, 20201 min read
Aspire to Finish
There was a time, a stretch of years, where I had assumed I was endlessly working on the same book. I finished a draft. It was garbage. I...
Chris Marshall
Sep 26, 20201 min read
Listening as Investing
This is good advice for everyone, not just writers. Too often we're thinking about how the topic of conversation relates to us and how...
Chris Marshall
Sep 19, 20201 min read
When Characters Ignore the Plot
I love this piece of advice, not just because I've had so many times where characters decided to do something other than I had planned...
Chris Marshall
Sep 12, 20201 min read
Notebooks, Sketchbooks, Journals...
I've recently had an interesting back and forth with writer on Instagram about our many uses of journals and notebooks, and the different...
Chris Marshall
Sep 3, 20201 min read
Finding Your Story
I think this is a common pitfall writers face when they're just starting to find their footing. I've certainly fallen into this trap....
Chris Marshall
Aug 27, 20201 min read
Analogue Drafts
I'm took a break from editing the novel recently and starting a new short story in the Rifleman series. When I'm writing something new I...
Chris Marshall
Aug 20, 20201 min read
The Stress of Daily Word Counts
What do most writers considers to be a bad day? For me it isn't meeting word counts as much as it is sitting for hours in front of my...
Chris Marshall
Aug 13, 20201 min read
Just Write Something. Anything.
When faced with writer's block, how many of us have heard the advice that we just need to write something? Anything. I've been in that...
Chris Marshall
Aug 6, 20201 min read
What makes Pulitzer-worthy writing?
I love this quotation because it not only fulfills itself but succinctly describes the job of any writer in any genre. For me, I tend to...
Chris Marshall
Jul 30, 20201 min read
The Easy Road
When I first started writing fiction I didn't know what I was doing and so my language ended up being simple and straightforward. Then I...
Chris Marshall
Jul 23, 20201 min read
Delve Deeply
I have made the mistake of cramming so much backstory and unnecessary description into my early drafts that bogged the reading down and...
Chris Marshall
Jul 15, 20201 min read
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