The best mysteries change the question
A hidden answer can pull us through a plot. A changing understanding gives us a reason to think about it afterward.
Read the essay : The best mysteries change the questionFROM THE WRITING DESK
Where ideas become worlds.
Notes on worldbuilding, the craft of a good mystery, and the human choices at the center of fiction.
THE QUESTION ON THE DESK
Give a character everything.
Then ask what they still need.
A speculative premise opens the door. A human want gives someone a reason to walk through it.
Open a worldbuilding note
Inside the notebook.
Build a world through breakfast
Before explaining a civilization's history, find out who makes the tea.
Read the essay : Build a world through breakfast
A better world needs more than better technology
Invent the machine that solves everything. Then ask who gets the key.
Read the essay : A better world needs more than better technologyThe story is still taking shape.
The essays here explore themes, not a definitive guide to the novel’s world. The forthcoming book remains untitled; any future excerpts will be clearly identified.
Read about the upcoming book