Writers Helping Writers^®

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Where’s Your Edge as a Writer?

September 4, 2018

Where’s Your Edge as a Writer?

September 4, 2018

Some of my most enjoyable teaching experiences were with my friends Donald Maass and Christopher Vogler doing Story Masters, a four-day immersion in the craft of fiction. For my day…

Powerful Scenes: Using One Stop for Writers’ Informal Scene Map

August 23, 2018

Powerful Scenes: Using One Stop for Writers’ Informal Scene Map

August 23, 2018

A while back, I profiled some of the custom brainstorming tools at our sister-site, One Stop for Writers, which help take the mystery (and misery) out of story structure. One…

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…

Crafting a “Body Language Voice”

August 14, 2018

Crafting a “Body Language Voice”

August 14, 2018

You’ve probably heard about “voice”–that elusive quality that so many editors, agents, and readers are drawn to. Years ago, I did a couple of posts about character voice, arguing that…

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…

How Do You Lead Readers to Your Theme?

July 10, 2018

How Do You Lead Readers to Your Theme?

July 10, 2018

Theme & Symbolism Database A good book, once finished, often leaves you with that feeling of something more. I like to think of it as the book’s essence. It kind…

How To “Level Up” Your Character’s Wound

July 3, 2018

Understanding how to properly create a character's emotional wound

How To “Level Up” Your Character’s Wound

July 3, 2018

Every writer who has spent time studying the craft writing knows of the character wound, and that they are the foundation of a strong, memorable character. Why? Because they make…

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…

The Writer’s Spice Cabinet

June 5, 2018

The Writer’s Spice Cabinet

June 5, 2018

Some writers object to thinking about plot and structure because it may lead to formulaic writing. They miss a critical distinction. Why does something become a formula in the first…