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Emotional Wounds Thesaurus: Being Kidnapped (the Aftermath)

July 23, 2016

Emotional Wounds Thesaurus: Being Kidnapped (the Aftermath)

July 23, 2016

When you’re writing a character, it’s important to know why she is the way she is. Knowing her backstory is important to achieving this end, and one of the most impactful pieces of…

Taking the Audiobook Plunge? Read This First

June 29, 2016

Taking the Audiobook Plunge? Read This First

June 29, 2016

Audiobooks are different than ebooks or print, so join author Diane Rinella as her post can save you a lot of time, heartache, and money. Plunging Into Audiobooks I love…

Making your Character Shine from Page One

June 27, 2016

Making your Character Shine from Page One

June 27, 2016

Welcome Kate Foster, who is here to offer valuable tips on how to get readers to fall in love with your characters right from the first page. Plot and characters…

The Setting Thesaurus Is Here: Writers, Get Ready To Rock The Vault

June 12, 2016

The Setting Thesaurus Is Here: Writers, Get Ready To Rock The Vault

June 12, 2016

Cue the marching bands! At long last, The Setting Thesaurus is here. Split into two volumes, Urban and Rural, these books are the result of several years’ worth of traveling,…

Level Up Your Setting (and Story) by Thinking Outside the Box

May 31, 2016

Level Up Your Setting (and Story) by Thinking Outside the Box

May 31, 2016

Want to level up your setting and instantly pull readers deeper into your scenes? Start by thinking outside the box about where each moment takes place. The right setting does…

Show Character Depth by Challenging Their Moral Beliefs

May 28, 2016

Show Character Depth by Challenging Their Moral Beliefs

May 28, 2016

When we start brainstorming a character, we usually focus on their traits—qualities, flaws, quirks, habits, likes, and dislikes. Then we dig deeper, building out their backstory: who influenced them, what…

How To Turn Your Setting Into a Conflict-Rich Obstacle Course

May 18, 2016

How To Turn Your Setting Into a Conflict-Rich Obstacle Course

May 18, 2016

Every story element should pull its weight—including the setting, which is a built-in source of conflict just waiting to be used. A simple first-date picnic in the park? Cue the…

Six Rules that Keep Critique Partnerships Golden

May 10, 2016

Six Rules that Keep Critique Partnerships Golden

May 10, 2016

Please help me welcome author Dee Romito who has a few “rules” to make sure critique partner relationships stay healthy and function as they should. Six Rules that Keep Critique…

How To Share Your Protagonist’s Deepest Feelings With Readers

April 26, 2016

How To Share Your Protagonist’s Deepest Feelings With Readers

April 26, 2016

Our job as writers is to make the reader FEEL, empathizing with our characters, feeling invested in the outcome of events, and immersed in the story’s world. When a reader’s…

Emotional Wounds Entry: the Death of a Child on One’s Watch

April 23, 2016

Emotional Wounds Entry: the Death of a Child on One’s Watch

April 23, 2016

When you’re writing a character, it’s important to know why she is the way she is. Knowing her backstory is important to achieving this end, and one of the most impactful pieces of…