Russell F. Hirsch
Descriptive Language that Sparkles
Kill your darlings! Get to the point! Plot over prose! How many times have you heard advice about simplifying your writing for middle...
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Russell F. Hirsch
- Oct 11
- 1 min
SIWC - Simply Inspiring Writers' Conference
We all know the feeling of finding our tribe. Whether we were kids discovering new friends on the playground, teens navigating a new...
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Russell F. Hirsch
- Sep 27
Middle Grade Fantasy Word Counts – Part 2
Last post, I dove into an investigation of Middle Grade fantasy word counts using a random selection of novels from my own shelf. The...
Russell F. Hirsch
- Sep 13
Middle Grade Fantasy Word Counts – Part 1
If you’re an over-writer like me, you probably agonize over word counts. If you’re an under-writer, you probably also agonize over word...
Russell F. Hirsch
- Aug 30
Imagine that! Opening and Closing Images
Great books begin with great openings. It’s our first taste of a story that will excite, move, and enthrall us. And endings are just as...
Russell F. Hirsch
- Aug 16
Making Music With Words
Great writing has two main components: The “storytelling” component — big, structural things, like an exciting plot, good pacing, and...
Russell F. Hirsch
- Aug 2
Setting the Scene
We’ve all heard of writers grappling with the blank white page. But sometimes, writers leave readers grappling with a frustrating...
Russell F. Hirsch
- Jul 18
Exposition 101 – SPELL SWEEPER
Today, we continue to unravel that most dreaded of all fantasy writing phenomena… EXPOSITION! Oh, so messy… Writers know that getting...
Russell F. Hirsch
- Jul 5
EXPOSITION 101 – Fablehaven
Exposition. Few words strike more fear into writers. Not exposition! Noooooo! Exposition is the explanatory stuff within a story. The...
Russell F. Hirsch
- Nov 18, 2018
The YAK Speaks: Messy Rough Drafts
The YAK features articles devoted to Education, Writing, Children’s Literature, and Speech Arts. It is published by The Bolton Academy of...
Russell F. Hirsch
- Sep 12, 2018
Lessons from a First Novel: Supercharging the 2nd Act
The Second Act is the middle section of a novel and usually the biggest chunk of a book. It spans from when a character is first thrust...
Russell F. Hirsch
- Aug 19, 2018
Lessons from a First Novel: Worldbuilding from the Inside-Out
Perhaps nothing simultaneously excites and intimidates a fantasy author as much as worldbuilding—crafting the geography, history,...
Russell F. Hirsch
- Aug 12, 2018
Lessons from a First Novel: Plotters, Pantsers, and Outlines—oh my!
Today, I continue “Lessons from a First Novel” by reflecting on the outlining process. In writer slang there are Plotters and Pantsers....
Russell F. Hirsch
- Aug 6, 2018
Lessons from a First Novel: Patterns and Parameters
Last winter, I finished a polished draft of my first novel manuscript. Of course, “finished” and “polished” are words that automatically...
Russell F. Hirsch
- Jun 17, 2018
Graced with Epic-ness: Kristin Cashore’s Series Structure
In this post, I finish my examination of Kristin Cashore’s excellent Graceling Realms series. (Part one here!) The title of the post may...
Russell F. Hirsch
- Jun 11, 2018
Graces and Ghosts: Kristin Cashore’s Elegiac Fantasy
***Onward, there be spoilers!*** Although the series is beloved first and foremost for its powerful and deep-feeling heroines, a central...
Russell F. Hirsch
- Apr 6, 2018
Writing Rewind! Tips from Recent Reads
Today, I break down a few skills (skillz?) on display in recent reads from the past month, specifically, books by Sayantani Dasgupta,...
Russell F. Hirsch
- Sep 7, 2017
#TBT Interview with Kenneth Oppel
Today, the Canadian Children’s Book Centre announced its slate of fantastic finalists for the annual TD Canadian Children’s Literature...
Russell F. Hirsch
- Aug 27, 2017
Reflections on a Creative Writing Degree
Next month I finish my Master’s degree, so I thought it time to weigh in on a question many aspiring writers ask : should I get a degree...
Russell F. Hirsch
- Jul 31, 2017
The Impossible and Inevitable Potter
Today is Harry Potter’s 37th birthday and in homage to the birthday boy-who-lived and the continuing summer festivities marking the 20th...
Russell F. Hirsch
- Mar 26, 2017
Indigenous Children’s Literature Resources
For March, I have the special pleasure of doing a guest post for the wonderful folks at The Book Wars, an awesome site devoted to...
Russell F. Hirsch
- Jan 22, 2017
3 Wonderful Writing Resources
Well, we’ve turned the page on 2016 and are getting into the swing of the new year, but if you’re still seeking fresh inspirations for...
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