Writers Helping Writers^®

Writing Craft

Theme: The Marrow of Your Story

June 1, 2017

Theme: The Marrow of Your Story

June 1, 2017

If structure is the bones of story, theme is the marrow. Plainly defined, theme is what our stories mean, and it is revealed through other literary elements such as character,…

What American Horror Story Taught Me About Anti-Heroes

May 30, 2017

What American Horror Story Taught Me About Anti-Heroes

May 30, 2017

Every time I search Netflix, Hulu, or primetime TV for a new show to watch, I’m convinced that anti-heroes are taking over the world. Breaking Bad, Sons of Anarchy, the Sopranos, Nurse…

Why You Should Never, Ever Go On a Destination Writing Retreat

May 25, 2017

Why You Should Never, Ever Go On a Destination Writing Retreat

May 25, 2017

You’ll hear from loads of people why you should travel and go on writing retreats. There are lists, like The Case for Writing and Travel, that say why travel is…

Three More Lesser Known Archetypes

May 23, 2017

Three More Lesser Known Archetypes

May 23, 2017

Back in January, Jonathan Vars was here to talk about some lesser-known archetypes and how utilizing them can bring a sense of freshness to our stories. Because of the positive feedback on that…

Character Motivation Thesaurus: Discovering One’s True Self

May 20, 2017

Character Motivation Thesaurus: Discovering One’s True Self

May 20, 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…

Using Real-World Locations to Ground Your Story’s Setting

May 16, 2017

Using Real-World Locations to Ground Your Story’s Setting

May 16, 2017

Last month I went on a writing retreat in Iceland. (Yes, Iceland! In fact, you can learn more about the annual Iceland Writers Retreat here.) It sounds like a remote…

Character Motivation Thesaurus: Caring for an Aging Parent

May 13, 2017

Character Motivation Thesaurus: Caring for an Aging Parent

May 13, 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…

A Cheat’s Guide to Writing a Synopsis

May 11, 2017

A Cheat’s Guide to Writing a Synopsis

May 11, 2017

Does the word “Synopsis” make you want to put a screwdriver into your ear? You aren’t alone. Luckily for all of us, we have Sarah Juckes of Agent Hunter here…

Complex Characters and the Power of Contradiction

May 9, 2017

Complex Characters and the Power of Contradiction

May 9, 2017

You’ve likely seen countless posts and resources related to creating great characters, but almost all of them seem to be lacking in one aspect I’ve found to be perhaps the…

Character Motivation Thesaurus: Being the Best at Something

May 6, 2017

Character Motivation Thesaurus: Being the Best at Something

May 6, 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…