Category: Writing About Writing

  • What’s In a Name?

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    Scott William Foley
    in

    I’ve noticed that authors have a great deal of difficulty doing something rather necessary — naming characters.  Names have such power that this endeavor should never be taken lightly.  After all, the name an author assigns a character will likely outlast the author him or herself, especially if the piece catches on.  Can you imagine…

  • The Joy Of Writing With Others

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    Scott William Foley
    in ,

    As you may know, I’m teaching a creative writing course this semester and I’m enjoying it more than I ever expected.  My students are amazing–a dream come true.  They are creative, have excellent attitudes, and don’t hesitate to get right to work on their writing.  I can’t imagine a better group to initiate this new…

  • You Better Know the Score

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    Scott William Foley
    in

    I once read that Stephen King loves to listen to rock music while he writes.  Unfortunately, I can’t do that.  I get too distracted by lyrics and, well, words. However, I do actually love to listen to music while I work.  For me, scores work well. When I say “score,” I’m talking about movie music.…

  • We Can Be Writers (Just For One Day?)

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    Scott William Foley
    in

    We live in amazing era in that we can all be writers.  If you want to write, the only thing stopping you is you.  Seriously. I get asked quite often how one goes about getting published.  There are so many different avenues to getting published, it’s always difficult to answer the question succinctly. The first…

  • The Story That Is Life

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    Scott William Foley
    in

    I’m a story teller at heart.  I can’t help it.  I’m surprised people still ask me personal questions, because the reply is often long winded, detailed, and superfluous.  It’s just who I am. But honestly, I think we are, as a species, story tellers.  More importantly, we are also story listeners.  Who doesn’t love a…

  • The Biggest Secret To Being a Writer Is To …

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    Scott William Foley
    in

    I’ve got a book signing coming up soon (more on that later), and there’s a strong chance I’m going to speak to many people looking for writing advice. Of course, there are many, many things I recommend you do should you desire to write, but perhaps the biggest piece of advice I have for any…

  • The Big Picture

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    Scott William Foley
    in

    I’m at a stage in my life now when I don’t get any one thing done at any one time.  I have to “chunk” everything – especially my writing.  Because of my “finish it bit by bit” approach, it can sometimes take weeks to finish even a relatively short story.  Amidst my family, my professional…

  • The Slash: The Fastest Read Alive

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    Scott William Foley
    in

    Revision is a laborious process for me.  I know I’m supposed to love it like I love my broccoli, but by the third or fourth revision of a single work, I’m weary.  So weary.  So, so weary. However, one good thing about the weariness is that I’m far less sentimental about the work, and that’s…

  • Dialogue Versus Description

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    Scott William Foley
    in

    Because I much prefer to read dialogue rather than description, it seems only natural that I also use far more dialogue in my writing than I do description.  This can be a tricky thing, though, because too much dialogue can overburden the reader, especially if it’s forced or stiff. I think I first noticed that…