How to Build a Life in the City (NYC Hacks)
As the song goes, if you can make it here you can make it anywhere. New York is, as of now, the great love of my life. I moved here […]
Writing Sex Scenes (the Right Way)
“His pointer finger circled my puckered love cave. ‘Are you ready for this?’ he mewled, smirking at me like a mother hamster about to eat her three-legged young.” This is […]
Writing Short Stories
In the world of fiction writing, most industry insiders heavily suggest getting some shorter pieces published before querying, or possibly even before writing a longer work like a novel. There […]
15 Must-Eat Classic New York Dishes
There are thousands upon thousands of restaurants in New York City, and with a steady stream of openings and closings, the landscape is constantly changing. Every year, the hotspots change. […]
A Writer’s Guide to Pacing Fiction
It’s something many writers, especially those at the beginning of their career, don’t think a lot about—but make no mistake, good pacing is absolutely one of the most crucial elements […]
When Writer’s Block Strikes: Finding Inspiration
At long last, I’m back from another hiatus, all settled into my new apartment. And I’m aching to write. To that end, this last post in collaboration with the Ice […]
Free (or Nearly Free) Things to Do in the City
It’s been an expensive year, and I’m not making a ton of money at present. Sucks to suck. But New York is as amazing as ever, so as of late […]
Writing Death and Grief
Few topics are as complex, emotionally rich, and broad as death and our extremely varied reactions to it. Many, many, if not most fictional stories somehow touch on mortality, and […]
All About Subplots
In my opinion, any good story of significant length needs at least one subplot. Secondary plots serve to add complexity, increase tension and impact, underscore the main plot, and generally […]
The Best Brunch Spots in New York City
*Back from a brief hiatus—new job, sporadic posts to come. But I’m still here and wandering the City. 🌃🚕 Brunch is, fairly objectively, the most quintessentially New York meal––with the […]
Where and When: Mastering Setting
This is the fourth post in a series of five on the elements of storytelling, in collaboration with the Ice Colony Podcast. Having gone in-depth on character, plot, and dialogue, […]
Antiheroes: Bad, but Not TOO Bad
Antiheroes are, generally speaking, bad boys (and girls!) with rough exteriors and a multitude of flaws, but good hearts. What separates likable villains from antiheroes is, at the end of […]