Category Archives: Writing Craft
Awesome Writing Tips From 6 Famous Writers
As I always say on Bang2write, there are no specific writing rules to break, just risks to take … That said, there are ‘best practices’! This is why it can be a good idea to check out what others who’ve … Continue reading
No Story Conflict? Explore Your Options
As a reader of Angela and Becca’s blog, chances are you’ve seen some of their many posts about the role of conflict in our story. In fact, as a Resident Writing Coach here, I’ve previously talked about how to make … Continue reading
Ways to Defeat Self-Doubt: Hang Upside Down (and Other Creative Moves)
September, 2009, was Dan Brown week in the world of publishing. That was when The Lost Symbol—Brown’s much-awaited follow-up to The Da Vinci Code (2003)—hit the bookstores. The Lost Symbol was not easy for Mr. Brown to write. I … Continue reading
Identifying Your Character’s Primary Attribute
When I think about some of my favorite protagonists, I can usually identify a trait that defines each one: Sam Gamgee: LoyaltyAnne Shirley: ImpulsivityJames T. Kirk: Boldness However, if each character was made up of only that one trait, they … Continue reading
Yesterday: Looking Back at the First Act
“Yesterday.” A beautiful, beautiful song that easily applies to our writing process. Confused? Go with me for a minute. It doesn’t matter if we’re a pantser, a plotter, a plotser, a puzzler, or some other mash-up of a writing process … Continue reading
6 Tricks to Layer on Stakes
Stakes are what are at risk in a story. It might be that the protagonist’s life is at risk, or perhaps a romantic relationship, or maybe the opportunity to go on a long-awaited trip (Hello, Covid!). But I find this … Continue reading
How To Research Mental Health and Trauma For Your Characters
Giving a character a trauma or mental health backstory seems like an easy way to add internal conflict to our characters – and it is. But where do you start that research? What should you be looking for? No one … Continue reading
What “Read More to Improve Your Writing” Really Means
Everyone says you should read a lot if you want to improve your writing. A blanket statement if ever I heard one. Anyone can read. There are readers out there consuming 100, 200, and even more books a year. You … Continue reading
Joining Forces: Harnessing the Power of Coauthoring
I always knew coauthoring had benefits – half the workload, and twice the platform to launch from are the obvious bonuses. Sure, you have to split your royalties, but you also share the costs. But I had reservations (how do … Continue reading
The Character-Building Detail Writers Shouldn’t Overlook
The farther I get into this writing and coaching career, the more I find myself talking about details and how important it is to get them right. Whether we’re figuring out which backstory information to include or are writing characterization, … Continue reading