My Life As A Writer: No Idiot Balls Allowed

When it comes to my fiction, I have a a couple of rules. One of them is this: "The people in charge are not idiots."

This applies regardless of their moral character. Stupid heroes are just as offensive to me as stupid villains, and I abhor the idea of "Because Plot" as the justification for an otherwise unbelievable event. Believable organizations have to function. They can be imperfect in their function, but they have to function and that means those running that organization have to know what they are doing.

This can be difficult to get across in prose. I struggle with it. Badly-done it is just as much "Because Plot" as stupid character inexplicably succeeding for no good reason because otherwise the plot doesn't advance. Properly done, it adds value to the book because it encourages re-reading to find the tells that build up to the logical conclusion that a reader would miss the first time through and gives readers something positive to talk about- and that enthusiasm, in the long term, results in more readers and more sales.

And I want people to read, and re-read, my books,

Of course, it can also go into absurdity, which works when presented properly. Example:

God help me put the words where they need to be to get the job done right.

On a side note, I have opened a store on Redbubble. Only offering cards, posters, and prints for now, and you can find options for the cover to Reavers here.