1. More writers are nervous about writing, querying, publishing, etc. than you think. We just don’t talk about it enough. 2. Fearing failure is normal and OK, as long as you’re also willing t...
https://ryanlanz.com/2024/04/26/10-things-every-nervous-writer-should-know/
So far I’ve been able to visit most of the locations I’ve used in my books. My settings range from Edinburgh to the south coast of France, and they are all within easy reach for me. But som...
https://ryanlanz.com/2024/04/25/how-to-research-a-location-you-havent-actually-been-to/
Maybe you’re not so keen on the story you’re writing. Or maybe you’ve finished your novel already (stranger things have happened). Or maybe you’re so sick of your characters that you’ve...
https://ryanlanz.com/2024/04/24/how-writing-a-novel-is-like-raising-an-unruly-child/
I’ve been asked numerous times (less than 3) on how do I get in the mood to write comedy. Only on rare occasions (more than 390 times a year) do these answers haunt the back of my mind. This ...
https://ryanlanz.com/2024/04/23/top-10-things-you-need-to-consider-if-you-want-to-write-comedy/
If you look at great characters in literature, they each have a flaw which drives the plot forward. I strongly believe that one of the most important pieces of advice for writing a character i...
https://ryanlanz.com/2024/04/22/what-is-your-characters-fatal-flaw/
With the release of my debut novel, Mist Falcon, I’ve been asked why I decided to indie publish. Inherent in the undertone of this question lies a second question, perhaps more to the point: ...
https://ryanlanz.com/2024/04/21/why-choose-indie-publishing/
Overwhelmed by fiction-writing advice? Me too, and I’m an editor as well as a writer. Everyone and anyone who has a blog or website seems to be keen on throwing in their penny’s worth. A lot ...
https://ryanlanz.com/2024/04/20/7-writing-rules-for-fiction/
Writers are often asked if they write for themselves or for others. In some ways, it’s a meaningless question: most authors wouldn’t have chosen such an uncertain profession if they didn’t ...
https://ryanlanz.com/2024/04/19/writing-for-others-writing-for-yourself/
As long-time readers of this site probably know, I’ve been dabbling with longer writing projects over the past year or so. Well, after an attempt at writing a sci-fi horror thriller novel faile...
https://ryanlanz.com/2024/04/18/3-things-to-do-when-you-cant-use-your-favorite-writing-style/
Sometimes I hear gripes from critique partners or beta readers that one of my characters isn’t likable (I won’t say which characters because I don’t want to poison the well, in case any of ...
https://ryanlanz.com/2024/04/17/story-stuff-l-is-for-likable-vs-livable/