Writers Helping Writers^®

Posts by Michelle Barker

Finding Your Voice as a Writer

November 21, 2023

Finding Your Voice as a Writer

November 21, 2023

When I first started writing fiction, I desperately wanted to be Margaret Atwood. I read several of her novels and, consciously or not (probably consciously), my writing voice started…

How Do You Find Your Narrator’s Voice?

August 15, 2023

How Do You Find Your Narrator’s Voice?

August 15, 2023

Voice is one of those elements that can make or break a manuscript. If you get it right, the novel will live in the reader’s mind long after they put…

Character Voice Versus Author Voice

May 16, 2023

Character Voice Versus Author Voice

May 16, 2023

We’ve all heard about the importance of finding your voice as a writer. Maybe you’ve had a critique from an editor who felt the narrative voice wasn’t sharp enough. Or…

Getting Back in the Writing Flow

February 21, 2023

Getting Back in the Writing Flow

February 21, 2023

We all need down time in our writing lives—a planned vacation, Christmas with the family, a buffer between big projects. Sometimes we get down time whether we’ve chosen it or…

Historical Fiction: The Story Comes First

November 15, 2022

Historical Fiction: The Story Comes First

November 15, 2022

As writers of historical fiction, we might be tempted to believe our job is to teach readers about a certain event or era. While that might be part of what…