Bruce Byfield
@byfield.bsky.social
Some time writer about free software and open source and would-be novelist. Companion to parrots, collector of First Nations art, and ergonomic keyboard advocate. Now actively querying my novel "The Bone Ransom," a post-colonial fantasy.
Pinned
Bruce Byfield
@byfield.bsky.social
· Jan 13
If you can't make each character in your fiction speak differently, the next most effective tactic is to make each line of dialogue as succinct as possible. Never mind that people rarely speak that way in real life. #writing
February 5, 2026 at 6:51 AM
If you can't make each character in your fiction speak differently, the next most effective tactic is to make each line of dialogue as succinct as possible. Never mind that people rarely speak that way in real life. #writing
I see a progression in the psychological novel from Austen to Dickens to Eliot and Hardy.
January 31, 2026 at 6:25 AM
I see a progression in the psychological novel from Austen to Dickens to Eliot and Hardy.
I've always tried for chapters with 2500-4500 words. But a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds. This draft, I'm considering a few shorter ones.
January 30, 2026 at 5:55 AM
I've always tried for chapters with 2500-4500 words. But a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds. This draft, I'm considering a few shorter ones.
One of the hardest parts of writing fantasy has got to be writing dialogue that gives information without being an obvious info dump. An argument helps, and not making the explanations too long-winded. But progress is slow regardless. #writing
January 30, 2026 at 12:15 AM
One of the hardest parts of writing fantasy has got to be writing dialogue that gives information without being an obvious info dump. An argument helps, and not making the explanations too long-winded. But progress is slow regardless. #writing
Sometimes, the best way for me to make progress on a scene is to start by roughing out the dialogue, with notes for possible actions. Since I know how each character talks, this tactic gives me the rhythm and pacing of the scene #writing
January 29, 2026 at 8:10 AM
Sometimes, the best way for me to make progress on a scene is to start by roughing out the dialogue, with notes for possible actions. Since I know how each character talks, this tactic gives me the rhythm and pacing of the scene #writing
A guilty confession: I've never seen the point of mood boards. I can't escape the suspicion that they're an excuse not to write that create the illusion of progress.
January 28, 2026 at 6:48 AM
A guilty confession: I've never seen the point of mood boards. I can't escape the suspicion that they're an excuse not to write that create the illusion of progress.
Sometimes, I cannibalize passages I've already written for my immediate needs. So far, it's always worked out, but I wonder whether I'll sometimes regret such a decision #writing
January 27, 2026 at 5:50 AM
Sometimes, I cannibalize passages I've already written for my immediate needs. So far, it's always worked out, but I wonder whether I'll sometimes regret such a decision #writing
The Silmarillion is like a fantasy bible. It's the collected stories of a particular people - the elves. There's a central theme, but often that's only a loose connection between the parts. Some parts are mostly self-contained, others feel out of place.
January 27, 2026 at 3:55 AM
The Silmarillion is like a fantasy bible. It's the collected stories of a particular people - the elves. There's a central theme, but often that's only a loose connection between the parts. Some parts are mostly self-contained, others feel out of place.
What a day! Yesterday, I added a chapter, roughed out another chapter, and had a third complimented (with minor corrections) by my critique partner. All that, and I still had time to shop online for a new laptop and watch A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.
January 26, 2026 at 2:47 PM
What a day! Yesterday, I added a chapter, roughed out another chapter, and had a third complimented (with minor corrections) by my critique partner. All that, and I still had time to shop online for a new laptop and watch A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.
Over the last six weeks, I've been experimenting with first person povs. I find that gives me a much stronger sense of character. #writing
January 25, 2026 at 5:33 AM
Over the last six weeks, I've been experimenting with first person povs. I find that gives me a much stronger sense of character. #writing
If the end of a chapter should lead into the next, is it cheating to end a chapter with a colon?
January 24, 2026 at 4:07 PM
If the end of a chapter should lead into the next, is it cheating to end a chapter with a colon?
Evenings have become my second writing shift. Often just notes, sometimes fragments.
January 24, 2026 at 5:34 AM
Evenings have become my second writing shift. Often just notes, sometimes fragments.
Recent Things I've learned about writing:
1. Dramatize, dramatize, dramatize.
2. Outlining and pantsing aren't either-or. Both have their place.
3. Description don't need to be complete. Just give the details that matter.
1. Dramatize, dramatize, dramatize.
2. Outlining and pantsing aren't either-or. Both have their place.
3. Description don't need to be complete. Just give the details that matter.
January 24, 2026 at 4:14 AM
Recent Things I've learned about writing:
1. Dramatize, dramatize, dramatize.
2. Outlining and pantsing aren't either-or. Both have their place.
3. Description don't need to be complete. Just give the details that matter.
1. Dramatize, dramatize, dramatize.
2. Outlining and pantsing aren't either-or. Both have their place.
3. Description don't need to be complete. Just give the details that matter.
The literary canon is a mixed blessing. OTOH, it weeds out trash. OTOH, it condemns some good writers, even whole genres, to obscurity.
January 22, 2026 at 6:23 AM
The literary canon is a mixed blessing. OTOH, it weeds out trash. OTOH, it condemns some good writers, even whole genres, to obscurity.
I can't write well from outline. However free-writing before I start each draft does seem to work for me. I list possibilities, and decide between them as I write. Sometimes, I invent new possibilities as I write. #writing
January 22, 2026 at 5:25 AM
I can't write well from outline. However free-writing before I start each draft does seem to work for me. I list possibilities, and decide between them as I write. Sometimes, I invent new possibilities as I write. #writing
It's with some amusement and some distress that I realize that my main character is starting to sound like he learned sarcasm from Phillip Marlowe. #writing
January 21, 2026 at 8:06 AM
It's with some amusement and some distress that I realize that my main character is starting to sound like he learned sarcasm from Phillip Marlowe. #writing
After I'm reasonably satisfied with a chapter, a period of 3-5 days follows when I add the odd sentence or paragraph. These last minute additions clarify and embellish. Many are the most effective parts of a chapter. I've learned to allow time for them to occur. #writing
January 19, 2026 at 4:15 PM
After I'm reasonably satisfied with a chapter, a period of 3-5 days follows when I add the odd sentence or paragraph. These last minute additions clarify and embellish. Many are the most effective parts of a chapter. I've learned to allow time for them to occur. #writing
The advantage of reading old books? Over time, the slop has been weeded out.
January 18, 2026 at 4:26 AM
The advantage of reading old books? Over time, the slop has been weeded out.
Synopses are torture because most of us have little experience writing them I understand why people might want to avoid them, but it's also true that avoiding them doesn't solve the problem.
January 16, 2026 at 4:31 AM
Synopses are torture because most of us have little experience writing them I understand why people might want to avoid them, but it's also true that avoiding them doesn't solve the problem.
Like many writers, I am sometimes unsure what to write next. I find it helps if I cling to the belief that I have the skill to find a way forward sooner or later.
January 15, 2026 at 8:06 AM
Like many writers, I am sometimes unsure what to write next. I find it helps if I cling to the belief that I have the skill to find a way forward sooner or later.
My customizable keyboard includes the option of a Caps Word key. Instead of locking the keyboard into upper case, it only capitalizes the next word that is typed. It's much more convenient than a CapsLock key.
January 13, 2026 at 10:13 PM
My customizable keyboard includes the option of a Caps Word key. Instead of locking the keyboard into upper case, it only capitalizes the next word that is typed. It's much more convenient than a CapsLock key.
"Show, don't tell"is an often misunderstood piece of advice, perhaps because it's poorly worded, and omits exceptions. Properly worded, it would be something like, "Go for the detail, except when it's obvious or upsets the pacing." #writing
January 13, 2026 at 3:33 AM
"Show, don't tell"is an often misunderstood piece of advice, perhaps because it's poorly worded, and omits exceptions. Properly worded, it would be something like, "Go for the detail, except when it's obvious or upsets the pacing." #writing