Mar 4The Only Trouble Is . . . or Finding Your Story’s Big QuestionEvery story needs to present then eventually answer one main question above all others. You present it with the Inciting Incident during Act 1 (intriguing the reader’s interest), then you answer it during Act 3’s Climax (satisfying the reader’s lust for knowing), while throughout Act 2 you keep us guessing…Writing Tips7 min readWriting Tips7 min read
Feb 2Rolling with the Homies . . . or the Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy Adventure Generator!Fantasy writers can use these inspiration tables as an adventure generator for your next exciting story. But don’t think the tables are limited to the fantasy genre. Plug and play with the provided tables as you like and as according to your specific genre. For instance, as with horror or…Writing Tips3 min readWriting Tips3 min read
Jan 7Titty Sprinkles . . . or How to write Erotica 101I’ve recently ventured into the wild world of writing erotica short fiction . . . and so can you! I never expected to write erotica in any capacity, but it turns out I have a natural flair for it. I discovered this quite by accident, sexting with several lady friends…Writing Tips12 min readWriting Tips12 min read
Dec 3, 2022Box of Chocolates . . . or How to Get Away With Stealing Stories“If you always do what you always did, you’ll always get what you always got.” — Henry Ford Writers steal their stories all the time, and often this blatant thievery goes unnoticed . . . until the trained eye digs a bit deeper. Here, take a comparative look at Disney’s…Writing Tips4 min readWriting Tips4 min read
Nov 5, 2022Apples to Oranges . . . or Pricing your Ebook and PaperbackSo you’ve spent the past six months writing a book from scratch to finish and now you’re ready to click Publish but for one minor decision: its price. Should you charge $9.99 for each copy? When you do the math, $9.99 works out to getting paid somewhere around $0.05 …Writing Tips13 min readWriting Tips13 min read
Oct 1, 2022The Batman Factor . . . or Why Your Protagonist Needs A Key ComponentEvery protagonist should have at least one Key Component that defines them as the person they are. Often several exist, but you need at least one dominant Key Component that sets your protagonist apart from the rest of the herd. Superman’s Key Component is that he values life and never…Writing Tips5 min readWriting Tips5 min read
Sep 13, 2022Stomping Kittens: a Punching Babies sequel!. . . new book out now . . . Stomping Kittens is the long-awaited sequel to the critically acclaimed writing manual ‘Punching Babies: a how-to guide’ by award-winning and best-selling fantasy author Adron J. Smitley. Inside, the aspiring author will discover everything they need to know on how best…Writing Tips2 min readWriting Tips2 min read
Sep 3, 2022Sweaty Buttnuggets . . . or The Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy NaNoWriMo Novel Generator!The easiest way to understand the Wound (scar), Shield (flaw), and Sword (virtue) protagonist process of story and how it applies to their flaw vs. virtue argument is to write a horror story for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month: from November 1st to November 30th). I don’t partake in NaNoWriMo…Writing Tips4 min readWriting Tips4 min read
Aug 6, 2022Why Narcissism Matters . . . or Making a Great VillainEvery great hero is defined by an even greater villain. Whereas good protagonist heroes tend toward modesty and compassionate morality, evil antagonist villains tend toward narcissistic psychopathy and dispassionate apathy disguised as false empathy. And there are two classic types: grandiose narcissist, and vulnerable narcissist. Grandiose narcissism is defined by…Writing Tips11 min readWriting Tips11 min read
Jul 2, 2022Great Minds Think Alike . . . or How to Combine Proven Plot FormulasLester Dent proposed a plot formula for a 6,000 word story as follows: divide the 6,000 words into four 1,500 word sections. Part One: hit your hero with a heap of trouble. Part Two: double that trouble. Part Three: put your hero in so much trouble there’s no possible way…Writing Tips6 min readWriting Tips6 min read
