Writers Helping Writers^®

Writing Lessons

Writing About Pain: Describing Minor Injuries

August 29, 2023

Writing About Pain: Describing Minor Injuries

August 29, 2023

When we push characters to their limits, sometimes they get hurt. Injuries can range from annoyances to mortal wounds, and handled well, can add tension and complication to the story,…

Writing About Pain: Different Types to Explore

August 24, 2023

Writing About Pain: Different Types to Explore

August 24, 2023

“Life is pain, Highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something.” -The Dread Pirate Roberts Pain is an unfortunate part of life. As our characters go about their day—working, building relationships,…

Writing About Pain: Three Stages of Awareness

August 22, 2023

Writing About Pain: Three Stages of Awareness

August 22, 2023

If there’s one thing writers like to do, it’s to make characters suffer. We are all about bringing forth pain and crises, whether it be emotional, physical, spiritual, or existential.…

How Do You Find Your Narrator’s Voice?

August 15, 2023

How Do You Find Your Narrator’s Voice?

August 15, 2023

Voice is one of those elements that can make or break a manuscript. If you get it right, the novel will live in the reader’s mind long after they put…

Five Commonalities Between Heroes and Villains

August 3, 2023

Five Commonalities Between Heroes and Villains

August 3, 2023

In story terms, a villain is a person, entity, or force who is cruel, evil, or malicious enough to wish the protagonist harm. Rather than simply blocking a goal or…

How to Stay Focused on Your Story’s Central Conflict

August 1, 2023

How to Stay Focused on Your Story’s Central Conflict

August 1, 2023

Conflict in every scene. We’ve all heard this advice, and for good reason. Your protagonist has a goal—hopefully, an audacious and high-stakes goal that is difficult to achieve. “Difficult” is…

After the First Draft: Revising Your Plot

July 27, 2023

After the First Draft: Revising Your Plot

July 27, 2023

Ok, writers. Raise your hand if you love revising. *crickets* Revision freaks a lot of people out because it can be overwhelming. When you start drafting, you’ve got this really…

Improve Your Storytelling in 5 Minutes

July 25, 2023

Improve Your Storytelling in 5 Minutes

July 25, 2023

What are writers chronically short on? Time. There never seems to be enough of it as we try to get the next book written, research our publishing options, keep up…

Keep Tensions High by NOT Resolving Your Character’s Relationship Conflict

July 18, 2023

Keep Tensions High by NOT Resolving Your Character’s Relationship Conflict

July 18, 2023

When it comes to story conflict, there are so many options to choose from. Power struggles, physical threats, moral dilemmas, failures, ticking clocks—they’re all great for ratcheting up tension, building…

Do Your Characters Have Agency?

July 13, 2023

Do Your Characters Have Agency?

July 13, 2023

Consider, if you will, a story about a woman who wants to gain esteem by winning an important legal case. Things are going along fine until she gets fired from…