Writers Helping Writers^®

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When Telling, Not Showing, Emotion is the Right Choice

August 6, 2019

When Telling, Not Showing, Emotion is the Right Choice

August 6, 2019

Hi everyone! A past resident writing coach is visiting us with an excerpt on a new course she’s teaching on mastering emotions: C.S. Lakin. This post is a touch longer…

How to Craft Engaging Dialogue Exchanges

August 1, 2019

How to Craft Engaging Dialogue Exchanges

August 1, 2019

One of the best places to reveal your character’s emotions is during dialogue. Author Peter Gelfan joins us with some great considerations on how to make these exchanges more powerful,…

World-building: Creating a Credible Magic System

July 25, 2019

World-building: Creating a Credible Magic System

July 25, 2019

Hi everyone! Today we have a new face at the blog: author and ghostwriter Justin Attas. He’s in love with world-building and has some great ideas on how to ensure…

Digging Deep: The Psychology of a Layered Story

July 2, 2019

Digging Deep: The Psychology of a Layered Story

July 2, 2019

Humans like complexity: puzzles, questions, layers. It fascinates us. My guess it’s because there are so many complex systems in nature that our brain needs to navigate successfully. Ecosystems, weather…

The Easiest Way to Plan Characters in a Series: Cloning (Yes, Really!)

June 27, 2019

The Easiest Way to Plan Characters in a Series: Cloning (Yes, Really!)

June 27, 2019

This spring, Becca and I released two very important tools for writers… The Emotion Thesaurus 2nd edition (expanded by 55 entries) and a Character Builder Tool at One Stop for…

Three Ways Writers Tell, Not Show (And How You Can Fix Them)

March 7, 2019

Three Ways Writers Tell, Not Show (And How You Can Fix Them)

March 7, 2019

One of my favorite writing coaches is here with us to dish some helpful advice on Show and Tell. Please welcome Janice Hardy and read on… Show, don’t tell, is…

The Key Components of a Compelling Character (According to Psychology)

January 23, 2019

The Key Components of a Compelling Character (According to Psychology)

January 23, 2019

We’re fascinated by our fellow humans. In fact, we have a profound desire to try and understand the thoughts and feelings bouncing around other people, the characters on TV…the hero…

Context, Text, and Subtext: What They Are and How They Help Storytelling

November 13, 2018

Context, Text, and Subtext: What They Are and How They Help Storytelling

November 13, 2018

In writing tips, we talk about text a lot. But I feel like we don’t talk enough about context and subtext in this industry. Both are vital to good storytelling…

Writing 101: Tips for Choosing the Right Story Details

May 10, 2018

Writing 101: Tips for Choosing the Right Story Details

May 10, 2018

When it comes to writing compelling fiction, choosing the right details can make all the difference. In this Writing 101 post, we’re looking at how to use purposeful details in…

Dive Deep with Emotion

April 19, 2018

Dive Deep with Emotion

April 19, 2018

Don’t you just love feedback from beta-readers or your critique partners that goes something like this: “I think you feel the emotion here, but the reader? Not so much.” Or…