Hey, wonderfulwriterly people! It’s time for Phenomenal First Pages, our monthly critique contest. So, if you need help with the beginning of your novel, today's the day to enter for a chance to win professional feedback. This contest is closed. Please try again next month. If you’d like to … [Read more...] about Phenomenal First Pages Contest – Guest Editor Edition
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Three Easy Steps to Generate a Goal Using Fear as Motivation
There’s so much emphasis on making sure that we give our character a goal that’s clear starting from their very first scene. Win the game. Find someone to marry. Land the job. Solve the crime. We tend to think about goal in terms of the character obtaining the thing they don’t have when the story … [Read more...] about Three Easy Steps to Generate a Goal Using Fear as Motivation
Top Story World and Story Bible Tips
When we create a story world for readers, we are implanting images and sensory details. From which, the reader fills in the gaps. If we skew that world in any way, we pull the reader out of their base model. And ultimately, out of the story itself. Examples of Oopsies: Creating a fictional … [Read more...] about Top Story World and Story Bible Tips
How to Combine Myth with History to Create Historical Fantasy
Three years ago, I never would have guessed I’d be writing a blog post on this topic. Back then, I was focused on pure fantasy stories. My first novel was an epic fantasy, while my second and third were paranormal fantasy. I thought I had “found my voice” in paranormal fantasy, but then a … [Read more...] about How to Combine Myth with History to Create Historical Fantasy
Do You Need a Prologue? Take the Test!
By Julie Artz Affiliate links below After nearly ten years working with writers, I’ve decided the only inviolable rule in writing is that a romance must have either a happily ever after (HEA) or a happy for now (HFN) ending. And yet blog posts like these are full of writing “rules.” I loved … [Read more...] about Do You Need a Prologue? Take the Test!
Write Like a Magician: Creating the Illusion of an Unseen Character
Whenever we write a protagonist who lost someone important within their backstory, we have some heavy lifting ahead of us. That “unseen” character—a character who has died or who is simply away for one reason or another—is going to need to be developed and brought to the page somehow to deepen the … [Read more...] about Write Like a Magician: Creating the Illusion of an Unseen Character
Phenomenal First Pages Contest – Guest Editor Edition
Hey, wonderfulwriterly people! It’s time for Phenomenal First Pages, our monthly critique contest. So, if you need help with the beginning of your novel, today's the day to enter for a chance to win professional feedback. This contest is closed. Please try again next month. If you’d like to … [Read more...] about Phenomenal First Pages Contest – Guest Editor Edition
The Secret To a Compelling Author Bio
Goodbye to Boring Bios Are you struggling to write the perfect author bio for your book, social media or website? Then this post is for you! Say goodbye to boring bios and hello to a profile that truly reflects who you are as a writer. Let's dive in and unlock the power of an unforgettable … [Read more...] about The Secret To a Compelling Author Bio
The Emotion Amplifier Thesaurus (May 2024 Release)
We're adding to our Thesaurus family! It's been a while since our last book as we needed to recalibrate our release schedule from fall to spring (resulting in a year gap), but now we're back in the thesaurus-making saddle. May 13th is coming fast, so it's time to dish some details about our … [Read more...] about The Emotion Amplifier Thesaurus (May 2024 Release)
Continuing a Series: Is This Info Too Repetitive?
We’ve probably seen advice warning that any time our story revisits information, we risk the idea feeling repetitive or redundant to readers if we’re not careful. Not surprisingly, the same risk can apply even across books in a series. Yet when we write a book series, we usually need to repeat … [Read more...] about Continuing a Series: Is This Info Too Repetitive?
Breathing Life into Characters
Picture a protagonist who stumbles upon a mysterious artifact but shows no curiosity, or a group of friends who sit down separately at the summit of a hike under a breathtaking sunset, without a moment of communal awe. Keeping your characters engaged with the story keeps readers engaged with it, … [Read more...] about Breathing Life into Characters
Don’t Make These 10 Self-Publishing Mistakes – Part 2
By Sarah Kolb-Williams In part one, we looked at a few production mistakes new authors can make. Today, we’ll focus on mistakes to avoid while finalizing your files and publishing your book. 6. Skipping the Ebook If you love holding printed books, you might assume your readers feel the same … [Read more...] about Don’t Make These 10 Self-Publishing Mistakes – Part 2