How to communicate that tragic backstory you worked so stinkin’ hard on

May 19, 2022May 19, 2022 colleenmccrackenLeave a comment

You’ve spent hours. You’ve been slaving away. You’ve taken seventeen different personality tests, generated a full horoscope analysis that was so long it took ten minutes to download, and filled out every character sheet Pinterest has to offer. You can recite every detail about your character’s life, from their first word to their last. And… Continue reading How to communicate that tragic backstory you worked so stinkin’ hard on

Writing Tips

The ultimate first chapter checklist

May 5, 2022May 5, 2022 colleenmccrackenLeave a comment

Nothing scares people like first chapters, and there’s a good reason for that. From a marketing perspective, it’s the highest-stakes part of your book. If you’re going the traditional publishing route, this is the first – and in many cases, only – glimpse of your work that agents and publishers are going to see. It’s… Continue reading The ultimate first chapter checklist

Writing Tips

How to give your book a theme that really sticks

April 28, 2022April 28, 2022 colleenmccracken1 Comment

People always ask you what your favorite quote is – nobody ever asks you what your least favorite quote is. And they should! It’s a way more interesting question. Well, since nobody asked, mine is Game of Thrones writer David Benioff’s “Themes are for eighth grade book reports.” The show was not even on my… Continue reading How to give your book a theme that really sticks

Writing Tips

An engineer’s guide to writing realistic sci-fi

April 21, 2022April 21, 2022 colleenmccracken2 Comments

Let me say one thing very loudly and very clearly right now: sci-fi does not have to be scientifically accurate to be good. This is one of the profound truths upon which my view of the universe is built. All fiction relies on suspension of disbelief to a certain degree, and there are no rules… Continue reading An engineer’s guide to writing realistic sci-fi

Reviews · Writing Tips

Books every writer should have on their shelf

April 17, 2022April 17, 2022 colleenmccrackenLeave a comment

I have a problem, and my problem is reference books. I would say I collect them, but that’s not quite true – I hoard them. Thanks to my mother, a former reference librarian, I grew up in a house packed with obscure reference books, and clearly I have inherited the obsession. I am one of… Continue reading Books every writer should have on their shelf

Writing Tips

Freewriting: the best writing exercise I know

April 14, 2022April 14, 2022 colleenmccrackenLeave a comment

The first college class I ever sat down in was English 101. I’d already been writing as a hobby for years, so I don’t think my hormonal, egocentric teenage brain expected to learn much. But one of the first things the professor had us do turned out to be the single most useful writing exercise… Continue reading Freewriting: the best writing exercise I know

Writing Tips

How to write a little horror into any genre

April 7, 2022April 7, 2022 colleenmccrackenLeave a comment

There’s something really cool about writing horror that makes it incredibly fun to play with, and that is its ability to be layered on top of almost any other genre and still be effective. Think about it – how many genres can you really say this about? Romance and mystery come to mind, but they… Continue reading How to write a little horror into any genre

Writing Tips

How to survive Camp Nanowrimo and have fun doing it

April 3, 2022April 3, 2022 colleenmccrackenLeave a comment

Happy April, everyone! The sun is shining, the flowers are blooming, allergy season is beginning to reassert its dominance over us all, and the first sesssion of Camp Nanowrimo 2022 is here. As a devoted participant in any Nanowrimo event I’ve been able to get my hands on since the year 2011, I’m proud to… Continue reading How to survive Camp Nanowrimo and have fun doing it

Writing Tips

Plotting vs. pantsing, and why you should do neither

March 31, 2022April 3, 2022 colleenmccrackenLeave a comment

In honor of the April session of Camp Nanowrimo kicking off tomorrow, today we’re going to talk about a topic very near and dear to my heart: the debate over plotting vs. pantsing. If you’ve participated in Nanowrimo or any of its associated events before, you have almost definitely run across this, and probably gotten… Continue reading Plotting vs. pantsing, and why you should do neither

Writing Tips

How to write with multiple POVs without annoying anyone

March 27, 2022March 31, 2022 colleenmccracken2 Comments

Matthew: “The thing is, how do I do it without putting people’s noses out of joint?”Violet: “Oh, my dear. Oh, I don’t think there is a way to achieve that. I mean, you must do what needs to be done, of course, but… oh, I think I can safely say a great many noses will… Continue reading How to write with multiple POVs without annoying anyone

Colleen McCracken

Opinionated author-talk for opinionated authors

Category: Writing Tips

How to communicate that tragic backstory you worked so stinkin’ hard on

The ultimate first chapter checklist

How to give your book a theme that really sticks

An engineer’s guide to writing realistic sci-fi

Books every writer should have on their shelf

Freewriting: the best writing exercise I know

How to write a little horror into any genre

How to survive Camp Nanowrimo and have fun doing it

Plotting vs. pantsing, and why you should do neither

How to write with multiple POVs without annoying anyone