Search Results for “world building” – Page 7

I Pitched Nine Agents in Two Days – Six said Yes! Here’s What I Learned (Do’s and Don’t’s)

I recently had a fascinating week; Nine agents (including the ones who weren’t interested in my work) shared industry insights and offered suggestions for improving my pitch. Two Big TakeAways Upfront: No agents/publishers will ask you to put your own money into marketing. Pitch in person/virtual whenever you can. This post is the first … Continue reading “I Pitched Nine Agents in Two Days – Six said Yes! Here’s What I Learned (Do’s and Don’t’s)”

The Exchange

This story came about from a book I’m reading intersecting with a conversation I had, a TV show Susan and I watched, and a desire to practice my flash storytelling techniques. Hope you enjoy. The Exchange Dolan stood beside her Chevy Suburban’s open driver door and watched the woman approach. The black Suburban, the government … Continue reading “The Exchange”

Canis Major

You’re tired of being alone and afraid and once, just once, you want to hold someone and not be afraid of their fear.

Writing Something Horrifying in Three Steps

[A different version of this appeared on Timothy Bateson’s blog in Oct 2019.] Psychologists and philosophers debate “horror” as a concept. Authors have it much easier. They want to make their readers uncomfortable, nervous. They want to give readers chills. They want readers to turn on all the lights, to check locks on the doors, … Continue reading “Writing Something Horrifying in Three Steps”

Relatability

To me, the key to keeping readers focused on your story is relatability (yes, I know. If you’re reading my world-building posts, you’re shocked). A story is relatable when the reader can imagine themselves in the story, meaning the reader accepts what happens in the story as something that could happen to them, meaning it’s … Continue reading “Relatability”