Creating a compelling main character is essential to any work of fiction, but creating a character that is perfectly good in every way can be a recipe for a dull story. That’s why it’s important to make your main character flawed. By making your main character flawed, you can create tension, conflict, and depth that […]
“THE WASTELAND GROWS,” wrote Nietzsche over a century ago. “Woe to him who hides wastelands within.” Since then, the wastelands have grown more indiscriminately within and without. Our social and spiritual lives wither on our cell phone screens. Our cities, habitats, and public arenas suffer from a blight whose causes remain obscure while the effects […]
Kate Folk is the author of Out There, a story collection (Random House ‘22). She has written for publications including The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, One Story, Granta, McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern, and Zyzzyva. A recipient of a Stegner Fellowship in Fiction from Stanford University, she’s also received support from MacDowell, the Headlands […]
Of journalism and artificial intelligence, “only those who create the best original content will survive,” says the CEO of German media group Axel Springer, which owns Bild and Die Welt. Mathias Deopfner said this in a letter to staff but you’ll forgive me for having read it as being shouted in a German accent to […]
Over 30 years ago, I received my bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Tennessee. Despite the passing of time, I still hold dear two items from my five-year educational journey: my framed diploma and a small book entitled “The Word: An Associated Press Guide to Good News Writing” by Rene J. Cappon. This […]
The songwriting process can be difficult, and when you’re struggling to come up with the words, you can get demotivated to carry on. Whether you’re struggling to expand your song idea or you need a fresh one, there’s always a way to deal with writer’s block. Fortunately, you don’t have to be stuck with writer’s […]
‘This week in Second Saturday Stories I want to focus on an element of writing, rather than the writing itself if you’ll permit me’ Second Saturday Stories Title Image I want to make my characters jump off the page. I know many writers who share this desire. Because let’s face it, if you don’t have […]
