Writers Helping Writers^®

Writing Lessons

How Are Character Archetypes Different from Tropes?

June 25, 2024

How Are Character Archetypes Different from Tropes?

June 25, 2024

What exactly is a character archetype? How many are there? And how are they different from character tropes? These are the questions that were keeping me up at night as…

Top 10 Tips On Writing A Fantasy Novel

June 18, 2024

Top 10 Tips On Writing A Fantasy Novel

June 18, 2024

What Makes Up Fantasy As A Genre? If you want to write a fantasy novel, it pays to understand what goes into this fascinating genre. Fantasy conventions can vary widely,…

The Secret to Page-Turning Scene Endings

June 13, 2024

The Secret to Page-Turning Scene Endings

June 13, 2024

It’s easy to surmise that propelling readers from one scene to the next relies upon a dramatic closing hook, the evocative or provocative impression at the very end of the…

How to Fix Big Story Problems

June 13, 2024

Is there anything more frustrating than knowing there’s a problem with our story, but not being sure how to fix it? We wish for an easy button in these moments,…

Flashbacks vs. Dual Timeline: What’s the Difference?

June 11, 2024

Flashbacks vs. Dual Timeline: What’s the Difference?

June 11, 2024

For strong storytelling, we need to focus on what’s important and relevant to current story events. That means we shouldn’t info-dump a bunch of irrelevant backstory just because it’s interesting…

How to Avoid Clichéd Emotional Reactions

June 4, 2024

How to Avoid Clichéd Emotional Reactions

June 4, 2024

The single tear trickling down the cheek. A kiss that leaves one’s knees weak. The grin that stretches from ear to ear. Yawn Oh, excuse me. I almost fell asleep…

Structuring an Ensemble Cast with Plotlines

May 30, 2024

Structuring an Ensemble Cast with Plotlines

May 30, 2024

Writing an ensemble cast can feel daunting, especially when most writing advice is for stories that feature one, or maybe two, lead characters. How is an author supposed to structure…

Using the 5 Elements of Writing to Immerse Readers

May 28, 2024

Using the 5 Elements of Writing to Immerse Readers

May 28, 2024

Have you ever watched a movie based on a book you read and realized the book is so much better? As a writer, this phenomenon excites me, because we can…

Behind the Scenes: How to Craft Compelling Backstory

May 21, 2024

Behind the Scenes: How to Craft Compelling Backstory

May 21, 2024

A character’s backstory is where all the gold is buried in terms of their motivations and misbeliefs. Who we are in the present depends to a large extent on what…

Release Day: The Emotion Amplifier Thesaurus Is Here (& a Giveaway!)

May 13, 2024

Release Day: The Emotion Amplifier Thesaurus Is Here (& a Giveaway!)

May 13, 2024

Another book joins the family today: The Emotion Amplifier Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Stress and Volatility! Writing authentic emotional reactions can be difficult when a character is the…