It’s often said that we make up our minds about people — whether we like them, trust them, or find them interesting — fast. Several sources suggest the average is about seven seconds. According to the Association of Psychological Science, it can take as little as a tenth of a second for us to form our first impressions. And you only get one chance at creating a first impression.

That’s as true of fictional characters that readers “meet” in novels as it is of real-life people and situations. In any novel, you must introduce your protagonist to the reader at the start; on the first page without question, ideally in the first paragraph, and better still, the first sentence. And that character has to resonate with the reader, arouse their sympathy and curiosity, and get the reader to like them; and if not like them — with an anti-hero, perhaps — then at least find them interesting enough to discover what they do next. …

The myth of creativity

Have you ever wondered what ‘creativity’ is? How it works? Why sometimes you’re fired up with inspiration and can’t get the words down fast enough, while other days you’ve got your head in your hands, staring at a blank page or screen? It’s as if your creativity just gave you the finger, went off on vacation, and slammed the door behind it without even leaving you a contact number. Do you know that feeling?

Well, I have good news for you. If you follow the creative reasoning techniques given below, you’ll never have that experience again. It will no longer matter if you’re ‘feeling inspired’ or not. …

The two most important parts of your novel — any novel — are the beginning and the end. But nothing is more important than the beginning. And the most important part of your first chapter is the very first page. That’s true whether you’re self-publishing your book or sending out the first few chapters and a synopsis to an agent. If the first page doesn’t intrigue, excite, and enchant the reader, the rest of your novel will remain unread.

No matter if it’s your first book or the twentieth in a series. No matter if the reader is checking out the “Look Inside” feature on the Amazon Kindle store or if the reader is a literary agent. …

The question, “What is a short story?” may seem to be a ‘no-brainer’. But the answer is more complex and nuanced than many imagine. You can’t define a short story only by its length.

As the history of the short story shows, there’s a heck of a lot more to it than that. You must deepen your understanding of the short story — its possibilities and limitations — if you want to write and sell short-form fiction.

Broadly, two angles on defining the short story dominate the field: the literary definitions and the market definitions. Literary ideas about the nature, form, properties, and features which make the short story recognizable and distinct from the novel, novella, and ‘flash fiction’ or poetry are more-or-less homogeneous across academia. Market definitions are more variable and diverse. They change with each genre and sub-genre. …

Why do you need to know the history of the short story?

You may wonder why studying the contemporary short story market isn’t enough if you want to build a successful career writing and selling short-form fiction. Well, it may often be enough. But given the range and diversity of short stories in the modern market, there’s a lot of useful information you can gather by studying the history of the short story. Not least because the traditional, academic version of the origin and development of short fiction is a world away from the history of the kind of short stories you probably want to write.

Let’s look at the orthodox version of events first: the official history of the so-called “literary” short story. And then — because academics write about the short story as if no science fiction, fantasy, romance, crime, mystery, supernatural tales, or adventure stories have ever been written — we’ll look at the unorthodox history of so-called “genre” forms, which will give you a much better context for your own work. …

The self-publishing myth

Are you thinking of self-publishing your book? Think again. I’m not saying, don’t do it. But I’m saying, just hold your horses and check your facts before you do.

I’ve been both traditionally and self-published and enjoyed small to moderate success in both camps. But recently a reader commented that as “advances” are often small and most publishers don’t plow a deal of money into marketing or promotion of a first-time author’s work, you’re better off self-publishing. It’s a myth you’ll hear more often these days. …

The question most authors dread

Part of almost every professional fiction writer’s life involves going into schools, libraries, attending book clubs, taking part in panel discussions at literary festivals, and being interviewed on radio, TV, or in newspapers and magazines. At these events, the first question asked is always, “Where do you get your ideas?” It’s a tough — almost impossible — question to answer.

Ideas come to each writer in different ways and at different times. Most visiting writers I’ve spoken to dread the question. …

How to avoid burnout

When the things you normally enjoy and inspire you seem like tiresome chores and every new idea feels like trammeling over old ground, you’re probably experiencing burnout. Add to that a stack of deadlines you’re struggling to meet and the feeling that your work process has been hijacked by the Dark Lord of Chaos, and you’re almost certainly on the road to a total creative breakdown.

Like anyone else, writers and others working in the creative industries can suffer burnout or run out of energy and ideas for new work. For true creatives, especially those for whom financial survival depends on keeping up a steady flow of new and better work, the prospect of burnout can be terrifying. The most natural response is simply to shut down. That’s what happens when you experience a “block”. …