Writers Helping Writers^®

Writing Craft

Character Motivation Thesaurus: Achieving Spiritual Enlightenment

July 15, 2017

Character Motivation Thesaurus: Achieving Spiritual Enlightenment

July 15, 2017

What does your character want? This is an important question to answer because it determines what your protagonist hopes to achieve by the story’s end. If the goal, or outer motivation, is…

Angela Looks Back: Why We Must Invest If We Want a Writing Career

July 13, 2017

Angela Looks Back: Why We Must Invest If We Want a Writing Career

July 13, 2017

One thing I am terrible at is taking the time to glance back at this writing journey of mine. Usually, my gaze is fixed ahead on whatever is next and…

Suspense in Stories: the Big Tease

July 11, 2017

Suspense in Stories: the Big Tease

July 11, 2017

Suspense is one of the storyteller’s biggest teases. It’s a state of waiting, of growing unease in the reader. Most stories consist of raising questions and delaying the answers. Suspense…

The Write Life: How To Enjoy Summer and Still Be Productive

July 8, 2017

The Write Life: How To Enjoy Summer and Still Be Productive

July 8, 2017

When you live in a place like Canada where summer can be, er, fleeting, you feel enormous pressure to get outside and DO STUFF. And heck, no matter where you…

How to Add Meaningful Subplots to Your Novel

July 5, 2017

How to Add Meaningful Subplots to Your Novel

July 5, 2017

Many people are familiar with subplots. They are those side stories that give a novel’s plot depth. A subplot may involve the main character or minor characters, but they enrich…

Character Motivation Thesaurus: Reconciling with a Family Member

July 1, 2017

Character Motivation Thesaurus: Reconciling with a Family Member

July 1, 2017

What does your character want? This is an important question to answer because it determines what your protagonist hopes to achieve by the story’s end. If the goal, or outer motivation, is…

Your 3-Step Plan for Outlining A Novel

June 29, 2017

Your 3-Step Plan for Outlining A Novel

June 29, 2017

There’s only one reason writers ever talk about outlining. It’s a tool that’s supposed to make our jobs easier. But it isn’t always clear how to accomplish that. Do you…

Motivation Thesaurus: Escaping a Dangerous, Unwanted Life

June 24, 2017

Motivation Thesaurus: Escaping a Dangerous, Unwanted Life

June 24, 2017

What does your character want? This is an important question to answer because it determines what your protagonist hopes to achieve by the story’s end. If the goal, or outer motivation, is…

Keep It Fresh: 10 Ways To Show Your Character’s Emotions

June 22, 2017

Keep It Fresh: 10 Ways To Show Your Character’s Emotions

June 22, 2017

Years ago, Becca and I grumbled about how our characters always expressed emotion the same way. My big thing? Frowning. Did my characters EVER know how to frown. They were…

How to Boost Your Self-Editing Superpowers

June 20, 2017

How to Boost Your Self-Editing Superpowers

June 20, 2017

A vast number of writers are afraid of their own power. They fall prey to listening to what other people think their story should be—writing friends, Twitter pals, critique partners,…