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Are Story Dice Worth It? Yes, With an Important Caveat

August 23, 2021

creativity, fiction, imagination, writing

Story dice are dice (either physical or digital) that have not numbers but icons. Options vary, but usually they are objects, characters, abstract ideas, and other such depictions. How do you use story dice as a writer? Simple: You roll them, then you try to come up with a story containing the icons you see.

Obviously, it’s your creativity and imagination that do virtually all of the work. Though story dice are essentially writing prompts, they can’t provide you with an actual story (duh!)

So, here’s the question of the post title: Are story dice worth it for a writer? The answer is (again, echoing the title) yes, story dice are worth it – but with an important caveat.

If you’re perceptive enough, you’ve surely realized what that is: You! Since story dice depend on the user’s creativity to “function”, they are as good or bad as the person rolling them. Still, it’s not quite as black-and-white. To put it another way, you can learn to use them better.

And so, in this post we’ll take a look at story dice and how to use them as a writer, to get intriguing new ideas for your stories. I’ll also have a little surprise for you at the end of this post!

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Holistic Creativity: How To Support Your Writing with Other Forms of Art

August 16, 2021

Writing

art, creativity, imagination, writing

Chances are, if you’re a Home for Fiction friend you’re likely interested in literature and writing. Perhaps you are a writer yourself. In any case, you have perhaps realized the effect of holistic creativity, that is, a creative force that spans across art forms.

If you write, you likely also like music or perhaps painting. Maybe you play guitar or piano, or perhaps you like coming up with creative DIY solutions for your home. Bottom line, you are creative in several areas in your life.

Think of famous actors who were also photographers and singers, or of musicians who were also painters and designers. Creativity is very, very rarely limited in one field alone.

This is something you, as a writer, must exploit.

In this post I’ll share some of my own experiences in holistic creativity, showing you how you can help your writing using your other artistic interests. The bonus, of course, is that this is a two-way street: Your other artistic paths can also be helped by your writing!

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Author Trademarks: What Are They and Do You Need Them?

July 26, 2021

Fiction Writing Tips, Writing

author, literature, writing

Let me make it clear right away: By “author trademarks” I do not refer to anything legal, e.g. in terms of copyright. Instead, in this post I use the term “author trademarks” to refer to a literary device. An author trademark is a reference (e.g. to an object, a character, or a happening) that is recurrent in the author’s work.

This likely reminds you of the concept of authorial style. You would be right to see a connection there. However, it’s important to understand something fundamental about what an authorial trademark is and how it works: Its presence in any single work (e.g. a novel) is neither unique to the given author nor particularly original. Its value – and its status as a literary device – comes solely as a result of its recurrence through the author’s canon.

We’ll explain all this in more detail right away, so no worries. Author trademarks are fascinating, but their peculiarities are important to know. Ultimately, you need to be aware of the dynamics involved before you can decide whether you need them or not.

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