The Gadfly Gazette
Dispatches on the craft of stories — sharp, funny, practical, and encouraging. The snark is aimed at bad writing advice, never at struggling writers. New dispatches Tuesdays and Fridays.
Why “Waiting for the Muse” Is Just Procrastination With Better PR
NARRISTOTLE’S VERDICT
Inspiration helps. A character who wants something—and a consequence for going after it—gives you somewhere to begin.
The blank page is not asking whether you are inspired. It is asking what happens next. Start with one decision, then follow the trouble it creates.
Read the dispatch →How to Turn Messy Notes Into a Story Outline
Find the person, the problem, and the choices that connect your ideas. A pile of notes is unassembled furniture — here is the assembly order.
Read the dispatch →A Twist Is Only as Good as the Promise You Planted
Give an early detail a reason to matter later. Surprising in the moment, inevitable a page later — that is a promise kept.
Read the dispatch →Bring the idea. Even the messy version.
Your notes, your voice, your story. Let’s get to the draft.