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vikingzx.bsky.social
@vikingzx.bsky.social
Author of Science-Fiction and Fantasy! www.maxonwriting.com
We're still away from the desk for the holiday season, but that doesn't mean the writing advice has stopped! Enjoy this classic post from our archives on character writing!
#writing #writingadvice #writingguides #BeingaBetterWriter
Classic Being a Better Writer: Giving Characters a Leitmotif
Hello again writers! We're away from our keyboard this week enjoying the holidays, but that doesn't mean the writing advice needs to slow down, especially with a backlog as deep as Being a Better Writer's! So, while we're catching up on our reading and gaming backlog, have this near decade-old Classic BaBW post to enjoy! Hit that jump, and we'll see you with fresh content again soon. Read More ...
maxonwriting.com
December 29, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Merry Christmas, Readers

Well, this is it. Another year on Unusual Things. Another Christmas is upon us at last. I'm not going to wax nostalgic about the site's performance over the year here, don't worry. As my schedule has gotten more packed with work and the site has grown, such posts have…
Merry Christmas, Readers
Well, this is it. Another year on Unusual Things. Another Christmas is upon us at last. I'm not going to wax nostalgic about the site's performance over the year here, don't worry. As my schedule has gotten more packed with work and the site has grown, such posts have increasingly become less important. Especially now that I have to manually filter out AI scraping hits, which are an everyday occurrence and completely skew the numbers.
maxonwriting.com
December 24, 2025 at 7:01 PM
We're on Christmas break this week, but you can still enjoy a classic Being a Better Writer post for your writing advice! And it's a topical topic: Holidays! Hit the jump!
#writing"/hashtag/writingadvice" class="hover:underline text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400 no-card-link">#writingadvice #writingguides #writing #BeingaBetterWriter #worldbuilding
Classic Being a Better Writer: Holidays
Welcome, writers! I'm off this week for Christmas, so this week won't be a new Being a Better Writer post but a returning classic. And it'll be the same next week as well. But, being topical, we've decided to dig back into an old worldbuilding post on the concept of holidays themselves! Oh, but really quick, there IS one item of news.
maxonwriting.com
December 22, 2025 at 3:00 PM
A Breaking News Story!

Yeah, the title is a pun. I ... took this week off. Until today, which is why there's a Being a Better Writer post coming Monday, as promised. Why? Well ... Sunday night I realized that I was in the depths of burnout. Bad. And I thought "I'll take a day. Really take a day"…
A Breaking News Story!
Yeah, the title is a pun. I ... took this week off. Until today, which is why there's a Being a Better Writer post coming Monday, as promised. Why? Well ... Sunday night I realized that I was in the depths of burnout. Bad. And I thought "I'll take a day. Really take a day" (rather than "taking a day but working on other writing projects" like I did during Thanksgiving).
maxonwriting.com
December 12, 2025 at 11:55 PM
This week for our featured Florschutz book, we're going way, way back to "Dead Silver." With Hawke Decroux taking the starring role for the sequel to "One Drink" as a search for a chupacabra in a New Mexican mining town turns to missing persons and murder!
#urbanfantasy #mystery #mysterybooks
December 10, 2025 at 9:21 PM
This week for a featured Florschutz book, we're going to the Old West! But not the Old West of Earth! When a train full of convicts goes missing, an imperial adjudicator and inquisitor team up to track them down. Six-shooters, horseback chases, and magic!
#fantasybooks #EpicFantasy #wildwest #books
December 4, 2025 at 10:30 PM
"Axtara - Armies and Accounting" is now in Alpha Editing! Here are the titles of the first ten chapters! The newest Axtara adventure, the latest in the life of everyone's favorite dragon banker, drops early next year!
#dragons #dragonbooks #YAfantasy #axtara #newbooks #dragon #finance
December 1, 2025 at 11:21 PM
We were away from keyboard for the Thanksgiving weekend, but that doesn't mean the writing advice stops! Check out this blast from the past with a classic Being a Better Writer post!
#writing"/hashtag/writingtips" class="hover:underline text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400 no-card-link">#writingtips #writingguides #BeingaBetterWriter #writing
Classic Being a Better Writer: Sex Appeal, Attractiveness, and Character Description
Hey writers! As foretold with last week's Being a Better Writer, this week I'm off from making a new post on account of Thanksgiving weekend. That said, we're taking a look at a classic BaBW post that still sees a regular number of hits because ... Well, just look at that title. No preamble, nothing else to discuss (as said, I'm off for the weekend). So without further ado, hit the jump, and let's revisit this classic. The Jump (AKA Read more) ...
maxonwriting.com
December 1, 2025 at 3:00 PM
40,000+ words edited today. 73,000 left to go. "Axtara - Armies and Accounting" is close to Alpha editing!
#writing #editing #axtara
November 25, 2025 at 12:25 AM
As we gear up for Thanksgiving, the writing advice keeps coming! This week, we talk about one-note stories. What are they, how do you write them, and why would you want to? Hit the jump, and let's talk about it.
#writing"/hashtag/writingtips" class="hover:underline text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400 no-card-link">#writingtips #BeingaBetterWriter #writingguides #writing
Being a Better Writer: One-Note Stories
Welcome back writers! It's Monday once again, which of course means it's time for another installment of Being a Better Writer. You know, as evidenced by that title up there. Now, as you may also have gathered from that title, we've got an interesting topic to cover for today, one that's been on my mind for quite some time. Even before it ended up on the Topic List, in fact.
maxonwriting.com
November 24, 2025 at 3:00 PM
You know, it's funny. I've had people question before why there are so many women shown in various jobs in my books, even being in charge. Some have even suggested that it's "woke."

It's because I flip coins for secondary characters. It's that simple.

#writing
November 22, 2025 at 3:37 AM
“Armies and Accounting” and Other News

Yeah, this one's late. I decided to write next week's Being a Better Writer first. Also, there's not too much to talk about. Obviously editing work on Armies and Accounting continues as I move toward the Alpha. I'm at a tricky spot where I want to split a…
“Armies and Accounting” and Other News
Yeah, this one's late. I decided to write next week's Being a Better Writer first. Also, there's not too much to talk about. Obviously editing work on Armies and Accounting continues as I move toward the Alpha. I'm at a tricky spot where I want to split a chapter into two ... but there's no clean point to do so.
maxonwriting.com
November 21, 2025 at 10:47 PM
This weeks news comes with a special surprise: A sneak peek at a letter from the upcoming "Axtara - Armies and Accounting!"

#news #axtara #dragonbooks
A Letter From Finix and Other News
In case you haven't heard, editing on Axtara - Armies and Accounting, aka the third Axtara book, has begun! Which is why today, below the jump, you'll find an excerpt from the opening chapter in the form of a letter received by Axtara from her older sister Finix! Who you may or may not meet in this book. Yeah, that's pretty much the news.
maxonwriting.com
November 14, 2025 at 8:51 PM
In honor of editing work having begun for the third Axtara book, this week's featured Florschutz book is none other than the second book in the Axtara series, "Magic and Mischief!" Confidence men and magical maladies collide in more financial fantasy! #fantasybooks #cozyfantasy #dragonbooks
November 13, 2025 at 7:59 PM
A lot of focus and attention is given to the opening sentence of stories. But ... is that focus and attention correct? Or is there more to it? Today, writers, we're talking about hooks. Hit the jump!
#writingtips #writingguides #BeingaBetterWriter
Being a Better Writer: Setting the Hook
Welcome back writers! After last week's live Being a Better Writer Q&A session (which actually spent much of its time talking about the upcoming Axtara - Armies and Accounting), we're back to the classic written posts for this week. As always, there was a news post last week that you should probably check out, especially if you're curious about a very interesting (in a bad way)AI move from Amazon that directly impacts authors.
maxonwriting.com
November 10, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Being a Better Writer: Live Q&A Tonight! Submit Your Questions and Listen In!

Hello writers! Today is going going to be a bit different here at Being a Better Writer. While we're going to link to a classic post below the jump and at the bottom of the post, the real attraction today isn't a post,…
Being a Better Writer: Live Q&A Tonight! Submit Your Questions and Listen In!
Hello writers! Today is going going to be a bit different here at Being a Better Writer. While we're going to link to a classic post below the jump and at the bottom of the post, the real attraction today isn't a post, but rather a live question and answer session held on the Makalay Camp (the site's Discord). That's right, you'll be able to hear the sound of my voice answering your writing questions.
maxonwriting.com
November 3, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Live Being a Better Writer Q&A: Queue Your Questions Now!

Hey folks. Not too much to report on the news end of things. I'm doing some closing work on the draft of A Pirate Planet (I got so excited to reach the end I forgot I'd dropped markers for some interlude/flashback chapters, and now I've…
Live Being a Better Writer Q&A: Queue Your Questions Now!
Hey folks. Not too much to report on the news end of things. I'm doing some closing work on the draft of A Pirate Planet (I got so excited to reach the end I forgot I'd dropped markers for some interlude/flashback chapters, and now I've been writing those), so I haven't quite started editing work on Axtara 3 yet. Next week, then, as there are only two interludes left to go (and the interludes are shorter than full chapters).
maxonwriting.com
October 31, 2025 at 8:17 PM
This week's featured Florschutz book is "The Phoenix!" When an immortal wakes up in a morgue, the natural thing to do is solve their own murder! Read the first few chapters free at the link!— tinyurl.com/ReadThePhoenix
#urbanfantasy #mystery #books #kindleunlimited #fantasy #reading
October 29, 2025 at 7:32 PM
Pacing: What? On today's Being a Better Writer we dive into a topic that has befuddled many a newbie writer ... and even some experienced ones. Hit the jump, and let's find out what it is and how you can use it!
#writing #writingtips #BeingaBetterWriter #writinghelp
Being a Better Writer: Pacing Your Plot
Welcome back, writers! Monday is here, and with it another installment of Being a Better Writer! As usual, there's last week's news post to check out, so if you'd like to do that (and I recommend it, obviously), that link is here. Unfortunately for you, if Monday is the only time you see these, then you missed out on an event this last weekend.
maxonwriting.com
October 27, 2025 at 2:00 PM