This week! It’s Juneteenth, the holiday that commemorates the emancipation of slaves in Texas two full years after the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863. Here are some of the articles about Juneteenth this morning that caught my eye: Jamelle Bouie on the centrality of slaves in the struggle for emancipation and a better America. Mary Harris […]
Herman Melville
How to create a great villain
Bill Sikes. Lady MacBeth. Captain Ahab. Voldemort. The Wormwoods. Sauron. Iago. The best villains in literature send a shiver down our spine and make our blood pressure rise. Why do some villains have such a hold on us while others feel like weak sauce? Here are some tips on how to craft a memorable villain. […]
6 ways to build intimacy between characters
Some relationships sizzle right off the page. Some strain belief and feel like duds. What separates the Darcy/Bennets of the literary world from all the countless unmemorable pairings? Here are some ways to build a sense of intimacy between your characters when you’re writing a novel. Validation One of the most primal human needs is […]
Man Booker longlist released (This week in books)
This week in books! The Man Booker prize is one of the most prestigious awards out there, and its highly anticipated longlist was released this week. One American author made the cut, Lucy Ellman, along with luminaries like Margaret Atwood, Salman Rushdie, and Jeanette Winterson. The winner will be announced in September. In other awards […]
