Author: K.W. Colyard

Kristian Wilson Colyard (they/them) grew up weird in a one-caution-light town in the Appalachian foothills. They now live in an old textile city with their partner and a clowder of cats. They are the author of the BNW Award-nominated "Those Who Forget and Those Who Perish," which first appeared in Seize the Press. Their work has also been featured in Clarkesworld and Diabolical Plots. Their nonfiction has been published on Bustle and Reactor, among other places. They're on Bluesky @kristianwriting.bsky.social, and you can find more of their work online at kristianwriting.com.

How to Make Your Protagonist More Relatable: Erase 9 Words

23 May 202522 May 2025Leave a comment

Are your readers struggling to connect with your main character? Filtering language might be the cause. Thankfully, the solution is simple. Keep reading to learn how to make your protagonist more relatable by eliminating nine common words from your draft. How to Make Your Protagonist More Relatable If your readers are having trouble relating to … Continue reading How to Make Your Protagonist More Relatable: Erase 9 Words

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Advice for New Writers: Don’t Proofread Before You Edit

15 April 202411 April 2024Leave a comment

This is the first entry in what might become a series of advice articles aimed at newbie authors and indie publishing startups. Today, I'm talking about why you shouldn't proofread a manuscript before you edit it. If anything's a dead giveaway that you're new to this business, it's a sentence like one of these: Looking … Continue reading Advice for New Writers: Don’t Proofread Before You Edit

Now on Drabblecast: “Those Who Forget and Those Who Perish”

10 April 202410 April 2024Leave a comment

Back in 2022, Seize the Press! published my first horror story, “Those Who Forget and Those Who Perish.” It’s a short number, but one that got me my first award nod: a nomination for the inaugural Brave New Weird Award. Today, I’m happy to tell you that there’s now an audio version of this twisted … Continue reading Now on Drabblecast: “Those Who Forget and Those Who Perish”

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How to Be a Client Freelancers Want to Work With

12 June 20236 June 2023Leave a comment

I hate when people start their blog posts with I'm gonna let you in on a little secret, but... I'm gonna let you in on a little secret. Experienced freelancers can tell when a prospective client doesn't understand how the market works. I've had a couple of nightmare clients in the decade I've been doing … Continue reading How to Be a Client Freelancers Want to Work With

Writing Fiction Critiques: 9 Tips to Become a Great Story-Swapping Partner

3 April 20234 April 2023Leave a comment

So you've joined a writing group and now you're ready to workshop a story with your peers. You read your story-swapping partner's piece and... now what? Never fear. I have nine tips for writing fiction critiques that will make other authors love workshopping with you. The preferred method for writing fiction critiques varies from group … Continue reading Writing Fiction Critiques: 9 Tips to Become a Great Story-Swapping Partner

Kristian, Writing

Speculative writing from the weird corners of Appalachia