The written word holds a power both bewitching and dread. The right words can topple kingdoms, grant immortality—even change the course of the world. Join me in The Laboratory as I delve into the foundations and principles of writing, from developing ideas and crafting an authorial voice to caring for yourself and building your community as a writer. New episodes are released every other Wednesday. Pull up a chair and settle in amongst the bubbling brews and frothing phials of the writer’s craft.
A Storied Conversation: Derivative Works in the Literary Canon
Concerns about a dearth of originality have long haunted writing communities. What’s helpful to remember is that, like their authors, stories have vast and varied roots. One concept could have a thousand different interpretations under a thousand different pens. Even responding to another person’s work more directly—provided it’s done responsibly—can be of benefit to writers the world over.
In today’s episode of The Laboratory, I speak with my good friend, Nowreen Haque—a connoisseur of literary histories, pop culture and fan fiction—about the role that derivative works serve in the broader literary dialogue. We’ll discuss the concept of derivative literature, examples in both the literary canon and in fan fiction, what constitutes a “ripoff” of a work and, lastly, how writers can use derivative work to explore important concepts and strengthen their own skills with consideration to those creators that came before.
Can I Ask for That? How to Negotiate with an Editor
Approaching an editor with your writing can seem pretty daunting to begin with. Then there’s the discussion about the cost of the service. While it’s important for authors to understand how and why editors charge certain rates to avoid sticker shock, this knowledge may also give authors the opportunity to customize the process for their specific project needs, and, in doing so, save on the overall cost.
In today’s podcast episode, I’ll give you an overview of how editors establish their rates and how you as a client can approach negotiating the cost of a project with an editor you’re looking to hire.
I Can’t Look: Plotting Killer Scenes
What keeps a reader turning the page and hungering to find out what happens next? Killer scenes. No, they don’t always need to feature an actual murderer (though some might), but all great scenes feature at least one major element of effective storytelling: tension.
Tension comes from knowing your characters well. Writers must understand a character’s motivations, their moral compass and how they tend to interact with the world around them to craft layers of tension in scenes that then build up until they reach a crescendo.
Tension and a great sense of underlying conflict are some of the greatest tools in the writer’s arsenal. Join us in today’s episode to learn more about wielding these weapons with accuracy and finesse.
The Great Juggling Writer: How to Manage Multiple Writing Projects
As creatives we often worry about having enough to say and getting stuck for ideas. But, on the other end of the spectrum of writerly lament, is the fact that our minds are often alight with too many ideas to comfortably fit into one lifetime.
It can be a good problem to have, if you can wrangle them all and tune out the noise, but too often it can get us stuck, frozen in place and unsure of what we should devote ourselves to in a set spate of time. Having too many projects on the go can start to look alarmingly similar to the existential dread we face on the opposite end of the spectrum when it comes to the creative process.
So how do we orient ourselves and decide between so many glittering treasures? In today’s episode we tackle the age-old question of how to handle multiple writing projects.
Diction: The Spice of the Narrative Voice
Word choices and how we use words make up the finest grain of detail we can control in our writing. But those details can have big consequences for how our writing comes across to readers. Tune in to learn how to avoid common diction-related pitfalls in writing.
Developing Your Writing Practice
As we start this new year, I’m sure a lot of writers are contending with resolutions to write more. But before you throw yourself whole hog into a new routine or schedule and end up burnt out, consider taking a moment to think about your approach first. In this post, I’ll share my thoughts on how to frame your goals so they are manageable and sustainable.
Writing & Editing with ADHD
Today I’d like to talk about something more on the personal side.
About two years ago now, I (as I suspect is true for many of us as a result of the pandemic) was diagnosed with ADHD. I’ve been learning a lot since that time, and I have this feeling that I’m catching up now with perhaps where I should have been all along. Of course, I guess that’s the case when you find out a lot of your challenges have an actual, demonstrable root cause that’s actually been with you your whole life. But even if it was a mystery for a long time, it still had a profound impact on me, including with my writing practice and work as an editor.
Worldbuilding: The Case for a Compendium
Worldbuilding is, perhaps fittingly, a massive, all-encompassing topic that’s easy to get lost in. When you have a world’s worth of detail to develop, it’s hard to tell, not only where to start, but also where to stop so you can shift focus to your actual story. For some writers, developing a setting might even be the end goal. Regardless of why you’re embarking on the endeavor, at some point you’ll likely find yourself asking the question “How do I keep everything organized?”
Enter: the compendium.
When to Tell & Not Show
Someone mentioned to me the other day that there was a healthy debate going on in their writing group between showing versus telling as a narrative approach. To writers who have heard the refrain “show, don’t tell,” throughout their careers, this might be a bit of a shock. It would seem that not all are in agreement about what is often considered a writing standard.
Maintaining Internal Logic & Consistency
Maintaining the internal consistency and logic of our writing can easily slip a writer’s attention, but such issues can be a nuisance for readers. The facts you present must agree with all facts stated elsewhere, but the finer details can become difficult for us to pick out. If you’re worried about committing these kinds of errors in your writing, read on for my advice.
Updates to Post Format & Frequency
I’ve long held that social contracts (even if it’s just me announcing an intent to follow through on something) help tremendously with my productivity, so it’s only fair that I address it when things change. Here’s a quick post to share some updates to blog format and frequency.
Plagiarism, Copyright & Defamation
This time on the Laws of Writing we’ll be looking at the actual laws that apply to written works—namely plagiarism, copyright and defamation—and how to tell if your work is at risk in any of these categories.
How to Write Engaging Dialogue
Wondering how to create electrifying dialogue that catches your reader’s attention or conveys emotion in a scene? Let’s talk about it.
Creating Compelling Characters
Last time on The Ingredients we looked at the setting as a starting point for your story. Now let’s look at starting with the drivers of plot: characters.
A Little More About Me
Hi! For anyone new here, I’m Mary. I started this blog a few months ago now, so I figured it might be time to give you a little more insight into who I am.
What Is a Style Sheet?
Editors, especially copy editors, use what’s called a style sheet when working on new projects, though style sheets are not exclusive to the editorial profession. Style sheets can actually benefit writers as they write. Let’s look at how we can make use of them.
Passive & Active Voice
Why is it that people laud active voice while passive voice is derided? Is it a rule or preference to favour one over the other? To put it simply, if there wasn’t a use for a particular style, it wouldn’t exist, so let’s examine these more closely.
How to Shape Your Setting
Stories can come from many places. Maybe you want to explore a particular philosophical angle or maybe you’ve thought of a fascinating character. Don’t forget that your setting can be just as enchanting a starting point. In this week’s blog, we’ll be using setting as an anchor point from which to conjure your story.
Finding Your Writing Group
Writing is often thought of as a lonely endeavour, and while it’s true that most stories only have one author, it doesn’t mean the process must—or should—exclude other people. Belonging to a community and having a support network behind you can help combat feelings of isolation, motivate you to write more and even make your writing better.
To Capitalize or Not to Capitalize?
To capitalize or not to capitalize. That really is the question.
Let’s look at how to capitalize on capitals.