Writers Helping Writers^®

Posts by Writing Coach

Three Simple Questions That Will Unlock Your Story

July 16, 2019

Three Simple Questions That Will Unlock Your Story

July 16, 2019

By Lisa Cron Writers are the most powerful people on the planet. Yes, you! You have the power to change your readers in a more profound way than almost anyone…

Plot, Inner Change, Evocative Writing—What Really Rivets Readers?

April 16, 2019

Plot, Inner Change, Evocative Writing—What Really Rivets Readers?

April 16, 2019

Here’s a counterintuitive fact: Writers spend way too much time obsessing about “the writing.” They sweat over the words, the technique, the language, the flow, the use of metaphor, and…

How to Get Emotion Onto the Page

January 15, 2019

How to Get Emotion Onto the Page

January 15, 2019

It is a truth universally acknowledged: you have to hook the reader right out of the starting gate. From the very first sentence your story must incite that delicious sense…

How to Nail the First Three Pages

October 16, 2018

How to Nail the First Three Pages

October 16, 2018

Let’s face it, talking about writing the first pages of a novel is stressful. It can strike terror into the heart of even the most seasoned writer, because as writers…

The Art of “Skipping Around” (Writing Out of Sequence)

August 21, 2018

The Art of “Skipping Around” (Writing Out of Sequence)

August 21, 2018

When other writers ask me if I’m a plotter or a pantser, I usually tell them, “I’m a little of both, but I’m also skip around.” By “skipping around,” I…

Writing By Design Part 4: Contrast, or Light versus Dark

August 7, 2018

Writing By Design Part 4: Contrast, or Light versus Dark

August 7, 2018

In earlier installments of this “Writing by Design” series, we’ve discussed how to use the constraints of space to lend a shape to your story, and we also looked at…

Character Vulnerability: There Will Be Blood

July 17, 2018

Character Vulnerability: There Will Be Blood

July 17, 2018

This is something I say to almost every writer: Make no mistake, there WILL be blood! No, I’m not referring to the movie. Or even to literal blood. But to…

The Satisfaction of Excellence: The Growth Mindset for Writers

June 19, 2018

The Satisfaction of Excellence: The Growth Mindset for Writers

June 19, 2018

If someone had asked me in my early days as a book coach what quality was most critical to a writer’s success, I would have said perseverance. It was the…

Conducting Informational Interviews for Story Research

May 17, 2018

Conducting Informational Interviews for Story Research

May 17, 2018

Recently I hit a roadblock with my current manuscript. It wasn’t a typical “writer’s block,” though. Rather, I made an inspired decision first: My protagonist’s father would be the owner…

Writing By Design: Using Color Theory

May 1, 2018

Writing By Design: Using Color Theory

May 1, 2018

Writing by design means using techniques from the visual arts to inspire and inform your writing. So far in this series you’ve learned how to use the constraints of space to…