D.N. Schmidt's Blog: DNSchmidt.com, page 6

Story Conflict Generator: Random Sci-Fi and Fantasy Dangers

Writer’s block got you stuck? Need an idea to inspire some story conflict? I’ve made a couple of story idea generators for science fiction and fantasy stories. Whether you’re writing a space opera story and can’t decide what should attack your intrepid crew next, or if you need a bad guy for your romantasy epic, I’ve got you covered. These […]

Types of Characters in Fiction: The Ultimate Guide

At their heart, all great stories are about characters going through change. Characters in fiction will either resist change or fight for change, depending on their function in the story. To build a great story, you have to understand these different character functions and how they interact. Beyond heroes and villains, what types of characters will fill your world? What […]

Awesome Story Editing Checklist

Follow This Checklist to Write a Perfect Final Draft You’ve just finished the first draft of your new story or novel. Congratulations! Next comes editing. Love it or hate it, it’s absolutely necessary. To make the process less stressful, here is a story editing checklist to help you make your new piece the best it can possibly be. Here is […]

Your Book’s Unique Selling Proposition: The 0.1% Challenge

Most readers only get 1,000 books in a lifetime. Why should yours be one of them? Book sales are tough, probably even tougher than you think. The average person only reads 1,000 books in a lifetime. Your book needs a unique selling proposition to become one of the chosen few. When you’re marketing a book, you’re not just asking someone […]

Valentine’s Day Romance Tips

If you’re not the romantic type, Valentine’s Day can put you under a lot of pressure. Is it too early in the relationship for jewelry? Do you need an expensive gift or can you just get a card and a rose at the gas station? And it’s not just men who have trouble with this holiday. Every year, my girlfriend […]

Character Select

A Science Fiction Story Erin was sitting on a hill in the park, cuddling with her new boyfriend Dan. It was a warm morning for autumn, and the sun was bright. “This has been pretty amazing for a third date,” she thought. “A tasty brunch with bottomless mimosas, perfect weather, and I got to pet four dogs.” She tucked her […]

How to Boost Your Author Website Traffic

If you’re a writer with your own website, you may be wondering if social media is worth it. Can you actually get readers from short attention span apps like Twitter, or photo-focused apps like Pinterest and Instagram, or are they just time-sucking distractions? Read on to learn how to boost your author website traffic and find more readers. Find author […]

Quick Writing Tip: World Building and Renaming Rabbits

Don’t call a rabbit a smeerp, and definitely don’t call a solar flare a “space storm.” An important rule of world building is to only rename things that are somewhat original. If you’re inventing a new animal, give it a new name. But if you just want to write about a planet with cute, tiny, cheese-munching rodents, just have the […]

My worst coworker ever

Many years ago, I worked at a small nonprofit. There were a lot of annoying things about the job – the terrible pay, spending weeks on a fundraiser that brought in less money than a lemonade stand, and Kevin. Kevin was the guy I shared a cubicle with, my worst coworker ever. He was a compulsive liar. He had a […]

Tiny Sci-Fi Part 2

Science Fiction Stories in 250 Words Want to escape into another world, but only have two minutes to spare? I’ve got you covered. Here is a collection of super short science fiction stories in 250 words. Enjoy! XL-273 XL-273 trudged to its charging station. Every day, the slate gray robot worked 20-hour shifts at the warehouse, filling thousands of boxes. […]