Tag: Kristen Lamb

Wonder Woman vs. Atomic Blonde–What Truly Makes a Powerful Female Character?

I am a sucker for a strong female character and these gun-wielding, sword-swinging gals are skyrocketing in popularity both in books and film. 2017 has served up both Wonder Woman and Atomic Blonde, two characters who are as different as Amarillo and the moon, and this has given me a lot of food for thought. …

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How to Unlock Raw Power & Write Stories Readers Love

Monday we brushed the surface of speculative fiction and why it can be such a powerful and world-changing genre when executed well. In my opinion (based on years of experience with new manuscripts) this genre shares a lot of the same pitfalls as literary/character-driven novels. If we aren’t careful, world-building—while vital—can take over and obscure …

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Science Fiction, Horror & More—Why Speculative Fiction Matters

On Friday, we explored how shame is the beating heart of great fiction, how probing the shadow sides of human nature is what can separate the mundane from the magnificent. All fiction has its place. Some fiction is purely fun and escape and the world needs more fun and feel good. Certain books are simply a …

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The Reason Shame is the Beating Heart of All Great Stories

I read a ridiculous amount of novels and I’m very picky, namely because I have the attention span of a fruit fly with a crack habit. Like most modern readers, it takes a lot to grab then keep my attention. Most books I end up putting down or returning to Audible for another. There are …

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Deep POV: Using Personal Vows To Increase Story Tension

Ah personal vows. I’m big on those and one core vow I made several years ago was to seek out the best of the best. Locate talent, nurture it, then share it with you guys. I’m passionate about mastery. Mastery however requires sacrifice, and that sacrifice is we cannot do all things. We need to …

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