After I published the previous article, I realized I hadn't said everything I wanted to say about worldbuilding just yet. To be specific, I want to go into more detail about what I called "worldbuilding pieces" and what that term means. We learn best through example, so today, I'm going to show you guys various … Continue reading The Work of Worldbuilding: Part 2
Tag: writing
The Work of Worldbuilding
In the past, I've given you guys some general advice on writing: how to get started, how to keep going, how to find inspiration. Now I want to start doing some articles on the most important part of the writing process, and that's the part where you actually sit down and craft your story. I … Continue reading The Work of Worldbuilding
Short Story: “The Art District”
I think this story is close to a year old now, maybe a little older. I first got the idea for it when I was browsing the Google Arts and Culture website and happened to come across a few articles/galleries on Parisian street art. I wanted to write a piece that highlighted art's power to … Continue reading Short Story: “The Art District”
Short Story: “Interrogation”
This piece was inspired by a podcast I sometimes listen to, "Hollywood & Crime" by Wondery (look it up if you have the opportunity, it's pretty cool). I wanted to try my hand at a story based on film noir tropes, albeit with a little twist of my own. The girl in the back room … Continue reading Short Story: “Interrogation”
On the Shoulders of Giants
We all have storytellers that inspire us. If you're a fantasy writer, then you may cite J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis or J.K. Rowling as influences. Maybe horror is your primary genre: then you might put Stephen King on that list. Furthermore, it doesn't have to just be writers who influence your writing. Maybe you started … Continue reading On the Shoulders of Giants
The Search for Inspiration
In my last writing advice post, I talked about what we can do to overcome the problems we face when beginning a writing session or a new project. Today's post continues that line of thought by discussing another problem that emerges early in the writing process: what do we actually write about? Finding the right … Continue reading The Search for Inspiration
Short Story: “The Digital Bullet”
I wrote this story a few years ago, inspired by a nonfiction book my mother was reading about hacking and web security. I subsequently published it in the Spring 2016 issue of Stylus, my university's annual fiction magazine. While I don't strictly classify it as science-fiction, I think it does have a near-future cyberpunk feel … Continue reading Short Story: “The Digital Bullet”
The Problem of Beginning + First Draft Anxiety
For the first post in my writing advice series, I thought it would be appropriate to tackle the subject of how one begins writing: not just beginning a story, but beginning an everyday writing session. The biggest secret about writing is that the physical act of putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) is … Continue reading The Problem of Beginning + First Draft Anxiety
Short Story: “The Mechanical Theater”
For the inaugural work of fiction here on HH, I've chosen a piece that I wrote a few years ago, during my first or second year of college. I remember being inspired by 1930s-style dieselpunk and especially the little robot on the webpage of Clarkesworld Magazine. I think of it as a "worldbuilding piece," something … Continue reading Short Story: “The Mechanical Theater”
Himrich Hall 