Making The Most of A Virtual Convention

I’ve worked a bunch of them since the pandemic started, and since it seems virtual or hybrid conventions are here to stay, here are my top tips for getting the most out of them.

Writing For Young Adults

What makes a novel YA?

Why is all the best literature YA and what makes it so great?

How gritty can you go?

Plus, 8 writing mistakes to be wary of.

What Fanfiction Can Teach Genre Writers

Talking about why people like fanfic, what it can teach writers, and exploring the fraught relationship between writers and their own fanfic communities.

Writing SFF From The Margins

Welcome to Part 9 of my WorldCon, CoNZealand panel write ups. The panelists for the titular panel were: E.J. Beaton (as … More

Constructed Languages

When we read a book or watch a show with a created language, it’s easy to wonder — did they invent a word or the whole language?

And when I write, do I need to create a whole language?

Here are the layers of a language, and the levels of language construction you can choose. Plus, a few more tips and tricks for getting your conlang just right.

Fairy Tale Contract Law

While fairy tale contracts can often seem cruel and capricious:

– They can’t get something for nothing
– There must be consent (often uninformed, though)
And?
– There’s always a loophole