All right, hands up: What’s the one thing we can’t get enough of in fiction but we avoid like a screaming toddler in real life? Conflict. It's ironic that something we try to avoid in the real world is the very thing we can’t get enough of in books. Psychologically speaking, though, it … [Read more...] about Need Compelling Conflict? Choose A Variety of Kinds
Blog
Phenomenal First Pages Contest
Hey, wonderful writerly people! It’s time for our monthly first-page critique contest 🙂 This contest is closed. See you next month! If you’re working on a first page (in any genre except erotica) and would like some objective feedback, please leave a comment. Any comment :). As long as the … [Read more...] about Phenomenal First Pages Contest
How Much Do I Need To Describe My Character’s Appearance?
By Lucy V Hay How characters look is a much-discussed element of writing craft. So, just how much do we need to describe our character’s appearance? Obviously individual writers’ mileage may vary on this question. Some authors may spend a lot of time on character appearance. Others may do it … [Read more...] about How Much Do I Need To Describe My Character’s Appearance?
Relationship Thesaurus Entry: Boss and Employee
Successful stories are driven by authentic and interesting characters, so it’s important to craft them carefully. But characters don’t usually exist in a vacuum; throughout the course of your story, they’ll live, work, play, and fight with other cast members. Some of those relationships are positive … [Read more...] about Relationship Thesaurus Entry: Boss and Employee
Choosing Your Fiction Genre: The 3 Things You Should Consider First
Guest Poster: Christina Kaye A big hello and welcome to Christina Kaye--an editor, author, and coach all rolled into one. She's here to help us make a big decision: which genre to write in. Read on! According to Statistica.com, by the end of 2020, the contemporary fiction genres which sold the … [Read more...] about Choosing Your Fiction Genre: The 3 Things You Should Consider First
One Day Only: The Emotional Wound Thesaurus is .99𝇍
Hi everyone! Today's post is just a quick heads up to let you know The Emotional Wound Thesaurus is Amazon's Daily Kindle Deal and only a buck. (Affiliate link - thanks for keeping our lights on) I know, emotional trauma sounds a bit dark. And it is...which is exactly why we need to … [Read more...] about One Day Only: The Emotional Wound Thesaurus is .99𝇍
Story Not Behaving? Try Going Deeper into Structure
RWC Coach Jami Gold With all the writing advice out there, we know that some “writing rules” we hear are more like guidelines. However, story structure is important not just for our writing but also for our readers—creating their overall sense of our story—so we should consider the risks before … [Read more...] about Story Not Behaving? Try Going Deeper into Structure
Writers, Do You Struggle with the Learning Curve?
Every once in a while, I think about my early days, and how I got to where I am now. I find it gives me perspective, especially when things aren't going well, or I feel in over my head. Looking back helps me see the ups and downs I've navigated and leaves me feeling more capable of handling the road … [Read more...] about Writers, Do You Struggle with the Learning Curve?
The Conflict Thesaurus Is at One Stop for Writers
Hi everyone! Just a quick post today to let our One Stop for Writers users know that the Conflict Thesaurus is live at the site. This database is all about causing problems for your character, and is filled with possible challenges, obstacles, moral dilemmas, no-win scenarios, ticking clocks, and … [Read more...] about The Conflict Thesaurus Is at One Stop for Writers
Want Success? Get Back to Joyous Writing
By James Scott Bell “Things were tough at the moment. I hadn't worked in a studio for a long time. So I sat there, grinding out original stories, two a week. Only I seemed to have lost my touch. Maybe they weren't original enough. Maybe they were too original. All I know is, they didn't sell.” … [Read more...] about Want Success? Get Back to Joyous Writing
Relationship Thesaurus Entry: Enemies
Successful stories are driven by authentic and interesting characters, so it’s important to craft them carefully. But characters don’t usually exist in a vacuum; throughout the course of your story, they’ll live, work, play, and fight with other cast members. Some of those relationships are positive … [Read more...] about Relationship Thesaurus Entry: Enemies
Does Your Story Need More Conflict? Tap this Powerful Source
Conflict is such a versatile storytelling element. Not only will obstacles, adversaries, and stressors keep tension high and readers focused, they also provide characters with valuable opportunities to prove themselves, chances to reexamine what they believe and want, and even failures that teach … [Read more...] about Does Your Story Need More Conflict? Tap this Powerful Source