Writers Helping Writers^®

Characters

The Character-Building Detail Writers Shouldn’t Overlook

July 2, 2020

The Character-Building Detail Writers Shouldn’t Overlook

July 2, 2020

The farther I get into this writing and coaching career, the more I find myself talking about details and how important it is to get them right. Whether we’re figuring…

The Occupation Thesaurus: Firefighter

June 23, 2020

The Occupation Thesaurus: Firefighter

June 23, 2020

Sourced from The Occupation Thesaurus OVERVIEWA firefighter is a rescuer who extinguishes and prevents fires that threaten life, property, and the environment. They also respond to car accidents, chemical spills,…

How To Avoid A Half-Baked Idea

June 16, 2020

How To Avoid A Half-Baked Idea

June 16, 2020

Half-baked ideas are everywhere in the spec pile. But what does ‘half-baked’ mean? After all, whether a script reader, agent’s assistant or intern LIKES the idea behind a story is…

Character Introductions: Making the Right Impression

June 9, 2020

Character Introductions: Making the Right Impression

June 9, 2020

Many aspects of writing can be hard to get right, especially in our first draft. For just two examples: With our story beginning, we might struggle to find a good…

3 Ways to Differentiate Your Characters

May 30, 2020

3 Ways to Differentiate Your Characters

May 30, 2020

We’ve invited Resident Writing Coach Sacha Black to give us an extra dose of wisdom as she’s just released a new book that I think will help a lot of…

Character Building: How Much Planning Should I Do? (PART 1)

May 26, 2020

Character Building: How Much Planning Should I Do? (PART 1)

May 26, 2020

Not sure how much brainstorming needs to go into each character? You’re not alone. It’s a struggle for many, and unfortunately, there’s no single “right” answer. It really depends on…

How Plotlines Add Dimension

May 12, 2020

How Plotlines Add Dimension

May 12, 2020

When writing a novel, you need to use more than one plotline. In fact, most successful books need at least three. If they only have one or two, the story…

What Is Emotional Context And Why Does Your Story Need It?

April 21, 2020

What Is Emotional Context And Why Does Your Story Need It?

April 21, 2020

Have you ever had an editor or critique partner say “go deeper”? And you throw up your hands and glare at the screen because you DID go deeper. Deep point…

Breathe Life into Your Prose with the Sense of Touch

April 14, 2020

Breathe Life into Your Prose with the Sense of Touch

April 14, 2020

Humans are social beasts: we live together, we yearn for the comfort of quality time, of family memories, and of physical closeness. But right now, touch has a bad rep.…

Why All Writers Need A Structural Toolbox

March 17, 2020

Why All Writers Need A Structural Toolbox

March 17, 2020

What Is A Structural Toolbox? Put simply, a structural toolbox is the foundation work all writers need to put in to ensure they … understand how structure works can apply…