Maybe Unicorns
It’s good to take a step back and get away from your stories. Give your brain time to passively work them over. Engage other brainmeats. Set aside time to do something that isn’t writing, and isn’t for anyone else but you. I think it’s too easy for us to get caught up believing that it’s selfish to do that, but we need to remember that being selfish isn’t always a bad thing, done in moderation.
I find a lot of current discussion about story endings comparing the virtues of the happy/Happily-Ever-After and the unhappy/GrimDark. I have my feelings on both, and often find myself pleased with something when a good deal of my friends are not, which is honestly a healthy way to enjoy your favorite things, in my opinion. What puzzles me, though, is this bizarre dichotomy being drawn between the two, as if HEA and Unhappy are the only options, and that the absence of one means it is automatically the other. This binary leaves out something that I, personally, find incredibly satisfying, but as a writer and a consumer of fiction, and that is the Bittersweet.
One of the most common questions a writer gets asked is, “Do you have any tips on writing?” Unfortunately, that’s a very broad question. It’s like asking a mechanic, “Do you have any tips on fixing cars?” It’s their whole job and it took a long time for them to learn it. It’s hard to... Continue Reading →