Life can be painful, especially for our characters. In fact, the fallout of an emotionally wounding event such as a car accident, failing to save someone’s life, infertility, or being sent away as a child can derail their life for years (or even decades!) if left unresolved. Not only that, it can … [Read more...] about Tap into Your Character’s Unmet Need to Strengthen Your Story
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How to Use Hidden Experiences to Pull Readers In
No matter who your protagonist is—a formidable galactic emperor, a morally complex teenager, or the retiree down the street with too many cats—readers must find something fundamentally relatable about them, something that resonates with their own human experience. This causes them to feel bonded to … [Read more...] about How to Use Hidden Experiences to Pull Readers In
Phenomenal First Pages Contest – Guest Editor Edition
Hey, wonderfulwriterly people! It’s time for Phenomenal First Pages, our monthly critique contest. So, if you need a bit of help with your first five pages, today's the day to enter for a chance to win professional feedback! (We've had past winners tell us they've found their dream editors … [Read more...] about Phenomenal First Pages Contest – Guest Editor Edition
Writing 101: Avoiding Purple Prose
Purple prose is one of those writing problems that’s easy to see in someone else’s work but hard to spot in our own. Simply put, this writing is overly elaborate or self-indulgent. It’s wordy, heavy on description, and often prioritizes the sound of the words over clarity and pacing. The result? … [Read more...] about Writing 101: Avoiding Purple Prose
How to Find Symbols in Your Settings
We all want our writing to be layered. Like a gourmet meal, we want there to be more to them than just what’s seen on the surface. In stories, this depth can be added a number of ways—through subplots, character arc, subtext, theme, and symbolism. Of them all, I think symbolism is one of the … [Read more...] about How to Find Symbols in Your Settings
Behind the Scenes: A Day in the Life of a Cowriting Team
Learn about a day in the life of a cowriting team with Resident Writing Coach Christina Delay and her writing partner, Julie Glover. We’re often asked why and how we cowrite books. For us, it began at Under the Volcano, a grill and bar across from the marvelous Murder by the Book bookstore in … [Read more...] about Behind the Scenes: A Day in the Life of a Cowriting Team
Three Hidden Reasons Writers Procrastinate
You know the feeling. You sit down to write, open your laptop, and . . . somehow end up reorganizing your photo files, watching three YouTube videos, or scrolling through book marketing tips you won’t use. Again. Afterward, that familiar guilt creeps in. Why can’t you just do the thing you say … [Read more...] about Three Hidden Reasons Writers Procrastinate
The Emotion Amplifier Playbook for Antagonists
We all know the importance of tapping into our character’s feelings and conveying those clearly to readers. When we do this, readers connect with our characters and become invested in the story. This is how we keep them engaged beyond the first few pages or chapters. But sometimes our characters … [Read more...] about The Emotion Amplifier Playbook for Antagonists
Help! My Romance Draft Is a Mess (Now What?)
Author Accelerator Certified book coach Stuart Wakefield shares what to do if your romance draft is a mess. You finished your draft. Maybe you poured yourself a glass of something bubbly. Maybe you took a nap. Maybe you panicked. That’s all perfectly normal. (I buy myself a Ken doll which I’m … [Read more...] about Help! My Romance Draft Is a Mess (Now What?)
Should You Write What You Know or Aim to Experiment?
Savannah Cordova suggests ditching writing what you know for the new and improved version: Know what you write. Show-don’t-tell! Kill your darlings! Don’t use adverbs! Sound familiar? Most writers will probably recognize the long list of industry sayings that seemingly crop up in every single … [Read more...] about Should You Write What You Know or Aim to Experiment?
Writing 101: Semi-Colons & Other Tricky Punctuation Marks
Punctuation can be surprisingly difficult, especially when it comes to lesser-used marks like semi-colons, dashes, and colons. When these marks are used incorrectly, readers are either distracted or confused. Because this isn’t the experience we want for our readers, let’s take a look at some of … [Read more...] about Writing 101: Semi-Colons & Other Tricky Punctuation Marks
How to Hook New Readers with a Novel-Based Workshop
I've presented a lot of workshops over the years, mostly based on the nonfiction books I've written for writers. I’ve always found it easy to create a workshop based on a nonfiction book. But when it came to fiction, I hit a wall. Like many authors, I’ve seen how easy it is to fall into one of … [Read more...] about How to Hook New Readers with a Novel-Based Workshop