Bryan Thomas Schmidt's Blog, page 8

Identity Theft and Me: How I was Victimized But Precautions Saved Me and Can Save You

Well, folks, apparently credit bureaus can and have been hacked, and apparently having your phone number, name, and address—all of which are public for me thanks to various reasons (though I have taken steps to… More

A Few Thoughts on Boxes & Character Worldviews

We all live in a box. Some of you will know immediately what I mean when I say that. Others may bristle. But  have the advantage of having traveled the world quite a bit and… More

WriteTip: Suspense Tools—Pacing The Slower Moments & Narrative Pacing

The following is an excerpt from my book How To Write A Novel: The Fundamentals of Fiction, Chapter 8: For the past month I have been covering Suspense and Pacing Techniques for writing. Today, we wrap… More

Thankfulness: What Are You Truly Thankful For

December 1st is always an odd time. A time when we shift from a period of reflection and thanksgiving formalized in the Thanksgiving Holiday—which, of course, also has ties to pilgrims and Indians colonizing the… More

Write Tip: Handling Pacing & Writing Action

The following is an excerpt from my book How To Write A Novel: The Fundamentals of Fiction, Chapter 8: Pacing When people hear the word pacing, they typically think of “slow” or “fast,” or perhaps “action,”… More

Cover Reveal: The Sideman (John Simon Book 2) (almost final)

THE SIDEMAN John Simon Thrillers, Book 2 WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING “John Simon is every bit as compelling a character as those who inspired him, and in some aspects Schmidt even does them one better.… More

WriteTip: Techniques For Creating Suspense

The following is an excerpt from my book How To Write A Novel: The Fundamentals of Fiction, Chapter 8:   Techniques for Creating Suspense So in addition to ratcheting up the tension every chance you get,… More

Thank You for Your Service (Veteran’s Day Thoughts)

Veteran’s Day often gets glossed over these days because people fail to recognize how much has been done to provide and protect the freedom they so enjoy. This series of cartoons that came out last… More

WriteTip: Dialogue and Pacing—Tips to Keep it Moving

The following is an excerpt from my book How To Write A Novel: The Fundamentals of Fiction, Chapter 7: Dialogue and Pacing (In media res) Previously, I wrote about In Medias Res—the rule that you should… More

Video WriteTip: First Steps- From Concept to Reality SDCC Workshop

This year at San Diego Comic Con 50, I taught a one hour workshop on story and scene structure called First Steps: From Concept To Reality. It is finally available on video. And I present… More