Writers Helping Writers^®

Writing Lessons

Giving Your Characters Free Rein in the Story

June 6, 2017

Giving Your Characters Free Rein in the Story

June 6, 2017

In my collection of writing books is a 1919 title, A Manual of the Art of Fiction, by one Clayton Meeker Hamilton, a professor at Columbia University. It’s a bit…

What American Horror Story Taught Me About Anti-Heroes

May 30, 2017

What American Horror Story Taught Me About Anti-Heroes

May 30, 2017

Every time I search Netflix, Hulu, or primetime TV for a new show to watch, I’m convinced that anti-heroes are taking over the world. Breaking Bad, Sons of Anarchy, the Sopranos, Nurse…

Three More Lesser Known Archetypes

May 23, 2017

Three More Lesser Known Archetypes

May 23, 2017

Back in January, Jonathan Vars was here to talk about some lesser-known archetypes and how utilizing them can bring a sense of freshness to our stories. Because of the positive feedback on that…

Using Real-World Locations to Ground Your Story’s Setting

May 16, 2017

Using Real-World Locations to Ground Your Story’s Setting

May 16, 2017

Last month I went on a writing retreat in Iceland. (Yes, Iceland! In fact, you can learn more about the annual Iceland Writers Retreat here.) It sounds like a remote…

Complex Characters and the Power of Contradiction

May 9, 2017

Complex Characters and the Power of Contradiction

May 9, 2017

You’ve likely seen countless posts and resources related to creating great characters, but almost all of them seem to be lacking in one aspect I’ve found to be perhaps the…

Angela’s Fantastic Finds for Writers

April 27, 2017

Angela’s Fantastic Finds for Writers

April 27, 2017

People who follow me in social spaces know I curate A LOT of content–enough to supply 3 twitter accounts, 3 facebook pages, one personal FB profile and then of course,…

Planning the Perfect Love Triangle

April 11, 2017

Planning the Perfect Love Triangle

April 11, 2017

Love triangles are potent story devices, even if the triangle isn’t the story’s main concern. When I work with authors, one of the most common issues is underdeveloped plot situations,…

The Efficient Writer: Using Timelines to Organize Story Details

April 6, 2017

The Efficient Writer: Using Timelines to Organize Story Details

April 6, 2017

If you want to be an efficient writer, using timelines to organize your story details might just save your sanity. Because let’s be honest—by the time we sit down to…

Want to Write Romance? Layer Your Scenes for Success

April 4, 2017

Want to Write Romance? Layer Your Scenes for Success

April 4, 2017

When I began considering writing a romance novel, I asked some of my romance author friends about the layer of structure. I had no idea that romance novels, across the…

What Does It Mean To “Raise the Stakes”?

March 14, 2017

What Does It Mean To “Raise the Stakes”?

March 14, 2017

Last time I visited, we discussed how understanding the interconnectedness of our story elements can help us with revisions, and today we’re going to dig deeper into one of those…