By Julie Artz A writer once told me they’d created their query list specifically to avoid agents who asked writers for a synopsis because writing one was harder than getting a whole novel reader-ready. I laughed at the time, but since then I’ve encountered a lot of fear and trepidation about … [Read more...] about The Building Blocks of a Synopsis
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Four Things That Make Your Writing Boring (and how to fix them!)
Why is it that some books get gobbled up by readers, and others don’t? It’s easy to get stuck in a revision cycle when you aren’t sure if a scene is working, so you rewrite it, and rewrite it again, and again, going by gut feel, and not knowing if you’re making your book better, or worse. If this … [Read more...] about Four Things That Make Your Writing Boring (and how to fix them!)
Character Secret Thesaurus: Choosing Cowardice Over Bravery
What secret is your character keeping? Why are they safeguarding it? What's at stake if it's discovered? Does it need to come out at some point, or should it remain hidden? This is some of the important information you need to know about your character's secrets—and they will have secrets, … [Read more...] about Character Secret Thesaurus: Choosing Cowardice Over Bravery
Writing a Novel, Scene by Scene
Writers come in a variety pack of processes. The most common types – regardless of genre – are pantsers, plotters, and plantsers. We know these terms well, right? And Then There Are Story Quilters Like Me These storytellers might do one or all of the three methods above, but probably not in … [Read more...] about Writing a Novel, Scene by Scene
How to Avoid Author Intrusion in First Person
Author Intrusion happens when the author butts into the story to address the audience directly, interrupting the character who's supposed to be narrating. Sometimes this can be used deliberately to create a certain effect. CS Lewis, Jane Austen, Lemony Snicket…it works for them because it’s … [Read more...] about How to Avoid Author Intrusion in First Person
Character Secret Thesaurus Entry: Coveting Someone Else’s Life
What secret is your character keeping? Why are they safeguarding it? What's at stake if it's discovered? Does it need to come out at some point, or should it remain hidden? This is some of the important information you need to know about your character's secrets—and they will have secrets, … [Read more...] about Character Secret Thesaurus Entry: Coveting Someone Else’s Life
Why Every Writer Should Try Their Hand at a Horror Story
By Savannah Cordova Affiliate links below It’s that time of year again: the leaves are changing color, the wind is getting chillier, and pumpkins are decorating doorsteps. And given that today is Halloween, there’s no better time to pen a spooky story of your own — even (perhaps especially!) … [Read more...] about Why Every Writer Should Try Their Hand at a Horror Story
Best Communities for Marketing Your Writing
By Eleanor Hecks Whether you publish traditionally or independently, getting the word out about your books requires a lot of work and monetary investment. Social media is an obvious choice for promoting your writing because you can zone in and target your reader base. You also don’t have to … [Read more...] about Best Communities for Marketing Your Writing
Character Secret Thesaurus Entry: Being a Serial Killer
What secret is your character keeping? Why are they safeguarding it? What's at stake if it's discovered? Does it need to come out at some point, or should it remain hidden? This is some of the important information you need to know about your character's secrets—and they will have secrets, … [Read more...] about Character Secret Thesaurus Entry: Being a Serial Killer
How to Hook Readers with Character Descriptions
I think we can all agree that characters are the heart of a novel. We build worlds around our story’s cast, spend dozens of hours plundering their psyche to understand needs, motivations, and beliefs, and even envision complete backstories. Then, of course, we go on to produce tens of thousands of … [Read more...] about How to Hook Readers with Character Descriptions
How to Write Unputdownable Psychological Thrillers
“I read your pages,” said my critique partner. “And I think it’d really increase the tension if you tore the one page out of the book that your main character needs.” It was a great suggestion. My main character was poring over hospital records, searching for a clue about her daughter’s … [Read more...] about How to Write Unputdownable Psychological Thrillers
Character Secret Thesaurus Entry: Monitoring Someone Without Their Knowledge
What secret is your character keeping? Why are they safeguarding it? What's at stake if it's discovered? Does it need to come out at some point, or should it remain hidden? This is some of the important information you need to know about your character's secrets—and they will have secrets, … [Read more...] about Character Secret Thesaurus Entry: Monitoring Someone Without Their Knowledge