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Writing Craft

Phenomenal First Pages Contest – Guest Editor Book Blurb Edition

October 19, 2023

Phenomenal First Pages Contest – Guest Editor Book Blurb Edition

October 19, 2023

Hey, wonderful writerly people! It’s time for our monthly critique contest. This month, we have a unique contest: 10 winners will receive feedback on their book blurb from a professional…

Three Ways to Make Readers Care About Secondary Characters

October 17, 2023

Three Ways to Make Readers Care About Secondary Characters

October 17, 2023

A common mistake I see in client manuscripts is a cast of secondary characters that simply exist to help or to outright block the protagonist. They’re either ready, willing, and…

Character Type & Trope Thesaurus: Antihero

October 14, 2023

Character Type & Trope Thesaurus: Antihero

October 14, 2023

In 1959, Carl Jung first popularized the idea of archetypes—”universal images that have existed since the remotest times.” He posited that every person is a blend of these 12 basic…

Writing Flawed Characters Who Don’t Turn Readers Off

October 10, 2023

Writing Flawed Characters Who Don’t Turn Readers Off

October 10, 2023

No one in the real world is perfect, and so characters shouldn’t be either. To seem as real as you or me, they should have flaws and strengths, and these…

How to Create Mood Effectively in Your Fiction

October 7, 2023

How to Create Mood Effectively in Your Fiction

October 7, 2023

By C. S. Lakin Every person or character, at any given time, is in a particular mood. Generally, mood is a person’s state of mind, but it’s more than that.…

Want to Show Your Character’s Pain? Here’s Everything You Need to Know

October 5, 2023

Want to Show Your Character’s Pain? Here’s Everything You Need to Know

October 5, 2023

For the better part of two months, Becca and I have been exploring pain, and how to write about it in fiction. It’s been enlightening for us, and we hope…

Happy 8th Birthday, One Stop for Writers!

October 3, 2023

Happy 8th Birthday, One Stop for Writers!

October 3, 2023

Let the good times roll…One Stop for Writers‘ BIRTHDAY WEEK is here! It’s hard to believe Becca and I have been helping writers grow into confident storytellers at One Stop…

Writing About Pain: Best Practices for Great Fiction

September 28, 2023

Writing About Pain: Best Practices for Great Fiction

September 28, 2023

Are you enjoying this series on writing your character’s pain? That’s a weird and slightly sadistic statement—even more so when we say how much we’ve enjoyed writing about pain. But…

Writing About Pain: Everyday Ways A Character Could Be Hurt

September 26, 2023

Writing About Pain: Everyday Ways A Character Could Be Hurt

September 26, 2023

We’ve covered many aspects of pain so far in this experience, such as the different categories of pain and how to write the discomfort associated with minor, major, and invisible…

Character Type & Trope Thesaurus: Whiskey Priest

September 23, 2023

Character Type & Trope Thesaurus: Whiskey Priest

September 23, 2023

In 1959, Carl Jung first popularized the idea of archetypes—”universal images that have existed since the remotest times.” He posited that every person is a blend of these 12 basic…