Category Archives: Writing Craft
Story Resolutions: Mastering the Happy-Sad Ending
Very often, it’s the ending of a story that sticks with us—because it’s our last memory of it, our most recent emotional connection. So nailing the ending is important. This is why I was so excited when Gilbert Bassey reached … Continue reading
5 Tips for Writing Stellar Romantic Subplots
Does your story contain a romantic subplot? They can be tricky to write well while not allowing them to take over the main plot line. Savannah Cordova is back with some tips on how to whip them into shape. As … Continue reading
Opening Scenes: 3 Critical Elements
One of the most common questions I get as an editor is, “Am I starting my novel in the right place?” Let’s discuss how you can craft an opening that subtly shows you are, in fact, starting in the right … Continue reading
The Author’s Guide to Redeeming Villains
Have you ever fallen in love with a story villain? Or at least found yourself liking him or her somewhat against your will? Seems a little weird, experiencing all the happy feels for this character, but I think we’ve all … Continue reading
The 8 Points of Progress
In a lecture series on Youtube, #1 New York Times best-selling author Brandon Sanderson talks about the three P’s of plot structure: Promise. Progress. Payoff. Promises are particularly important in the beginning of the story, as they draw in the audience. Progress keeps the … Continue reading
How to Evoke Emotions with Book Cover Design
We all know the importance of book covers in helping readers choose books. So what separates an engaging cover from one that potential buyers pass by? Would you be surprised if I said that emotion was part of the equation? … Continue reading
7 Ways Deep POV Creates Emotional Connections With Readers
Deep POV (point of view) is a popular (and lately, divisive) writing style to employ. Many blogs about deep pov will list out the same four or six foundational tools as though any newbie could pick this up and run … Continue reading