I wonder about writing advice. I know many people who like to give it, but I can’t think of anyone off the top of my head who has benefited from it. I’ve seen people heed it, and strangle themselves with it. I’ve seen people ignore it and flourish. I see it on Facebook and Twitter…

I wonder about children. Some part of me is awkwardly fascinated that there are people on the planet who have never experienced so many things. Never been to a live concert. Never made bread from scratch. Don’t know who Luke’s father is. That scraped knee is  no big deal for adults, but for many children,…

I wonder about cultures. I’m not talking about existing cultures around our world, not exactly. More about creating a culture that the characters dwell in. It’s not about race, either, though how a humanoid moves can affect how their lives are lived on the most basic level. What I’m talking about here doesn’t have to…

I wonder about building worlds. It’s an enormous task, and one that’s so easy to get lost in. Each piece must be interesting, believable, and important in some way. Not to mention they all have to serve some sort of purpose. Much of this is included in what you know as a storyteller, and not…

I wonder about art. Some I don’t get, but that’s not really the point of work, I’ve decided. Art isn’t actually about making you think, it’s about how it makes you feel. Entertainment holds the consumer’s hand through the adventure, but art is for anyone to simply interpret, and it means whatever the consumer decides…

I wonder about the underdogs. Why do we like them? Don’t we want to root for the winner? What is it about the underdogs that’s so appealing? There’s a glory in the struggle. We may not notice it when we’re our own main character, but seeing it in others – we want to support them,…

I wonder about quirks. Not choices that the character makes so the author can add realism to the character (I have a friend who – every time there’s a loud noise – looks to the door and not the source of the sound) or flaws (I’m not sure why every YA heroine has to be…

I think about writing often – probably more than I should. But stories fascinate me. Why do we create? Why do we want to be entertained? What is it about imagining someone else going through trials – rooting for them, weeping with them, fearing for them – that enraptures every person I know? Some part…