Author Archives: Rob Bignell

Improve Writing’s Texture by Avoiding Repetition

One of the quickest ways to ruin a story’s texture is to repeat the same word between sentences and paragraphs. For example: Koorana quivered as Birray’s scent grew stronger than ever before, so strong that the teenager thought it entwined with her very blood. For a teenage male with such wide shoulders he possessed the sweetestContinue reading “Improve Writing’s Texture by Avoiding Repetition”

Avoid Handwaving to Cover Story Flaw – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for July 21, 2026

Craft of Writing: Avoid Handwaving to Cover Story FlawSometimes when a car salesman has a shoddy vehicle to sell, he tries to distract you from the flaw by pointing out something that’s good – like turning up the radio and raving about the great sound system so you don’t hear the engine knock. READ MORE Self-PublishingContinue reading “Avoid Handwaving to Cover Story Flaw – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for July 21, 2026”

Cut Card Tricks in the Dark – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for July 14, 2026

Craft of Writing: Cut Card Tricks in the DarkNo one likes a show off. Unfortunately, one way novice writers slow their story is by saying “Look see what I can do!” When they use such authorial cleverness for no purpose other than to show off, they’re guilty of using “card tricks in the dark,” a termContinue reading “Cut Card Tricks in the Dark – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for July 14, 2026”

New Book Release: “Protecting Yourself Against Book Marketing Scams”

I’m proud to announce the release today of my latest book – Protecting Yourself Against Book Marketing Scams. Scammers – like locusts of biblical proportions, they’re filling your email inbox, posting on your social media threads, and sending DMs all the time. They promise big sales if you would just hire them to make aContinue reading “New Book Release: “Protecting Yourself Against Book Marketing Scams””

Strike out Nulls – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for July 7, 2026

Craft of Writing: Strike out NullsSometimes the only purpose of a story’s sentence is to say that nothing happened. Such sentences are called “nulls.” READ MORE Everything You Must Know to Self-Publish Your EbookYou’ve written a book and want to publish it as an ebook. But how do you do that? Maybe you’ve watched a videoContinue reading “Strike out Nulls – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for July 7, 2026”

Step Down on Authorisms – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for June 30, 2026

Craft of Writing: Step Down on AuthorismsSometimes when writers just can’t think of what to put on the page, they resort to an inappropriate technique known as an authorism. An authorism – coined by American writer Thomas M. Disch – occurs when the writer places his or her physical environment, mannerisms and prejudices into the story.  READContinue reading “Step Down on Authorisms – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for June 30, 2026”