When Reality Bites
top of page
In-depth craft guides for serious writers
All Guides
Search
There is no such thing as an "objective reality" in fiction. But subjective reality is another story.
Craft Talk
What We Talk About When We Talk About Stories
What are the elements of a traditional story? Know the rules before you break them.
Tour Guide
Verb-Tense Time Machine
Essential advice on managing verb-tense usage in exposition and flashbacks.
Tour Guide
Dialogue Basics: What It Is, What It Isn't
The basics of effective dialogue.
Tour Guide
Fail at This, Fail at Everything: A Lesson in Clarity from David Foster Wallace
Analyzing a single sentence by David Foster Wallace.
Craft Talk
Psychic Distance
Surprise, surprise! "Psychic distance" has nothing to do with tarot cards or Ouija boards.
Tour Guide
Scents and Sounds: Memory as Muse
Need a quick jolt of inspiration? An idea that won't fizzle out? Look no further.
Tour Guide
Dialogue Cheat Sheet
A quick-and-dirty primer on writing effective dialogue.
Tour Guide
Revision: Making Music With Reader Notes
You've just received notes. Some make sense, others don't, still others smart like you've been slapped in the face. What now?
Tour Guide
Narrative Modes: Mix and Match for Texture and Dimension
Are you falling out of love with your story? Is your plot running low on gas? Are your characters flat-lining in the literary ICU?
The Ink Spiller
What is a Story?
Think you know what constitutes a "story"?
The Ink Spiller
Reading...Podcasts?
I read. A lot. I read so often, so slowly, and so earnestly, that sometimes I need a break from it. Reading as a writer is a lot of work....
MFA Guide
MFA Applications I: Researching Schools
You think you know where you want to go. But are you right?
MFA Guide
MFA Applications II: Planning
Dust off your spreadsheet skills. It's going to get complicated.
MFA Guide
MFA Applications III: The Writing Sample
Also known as The Only Thing That Matters in the application.
Tour Manager
Diamond in the Slush
How do you get pulled out of the slush pile and onto the pages of your favorite journal?
MFA Guide
MFA Applications IV: The Personal Statement
Sell yourself without putting the admissions committee to sleep.
Tour Guide
Demystifying the Writing Workshop
Want to be a better contributor...or start your own high-performance workshop?
Tour Guide
Developing Ideas: A 4-Step Process
An idea's sparked something in you. Now what?
Tour Guide
Keep Your Distance: 4 Elements of Storytelling
Juggling 4 Key Elements of Storytelling
bottom of page