Heads up! Pitch Pro Sarah Isaacson has a Query Clinic here PACKED with info to help you escape the slush pile. For length, my intro is short, so read on for a bounty of query advice gold to put into action. The purpose of a pitch is to hook a reader or land an agent. You must be able to describe … [Read more...] about Escape The Slush Pile: Elements of a Successful Query Pitch
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How to Tell If Your Story Needs a Resolution
One of the last things you’ll consider for a story is whether to write a resolution. This short sequence of scenes (or a single scene) after the climax can conclude secondary storylines, offer a glimpse into the protagonist’s new life, or pull a last-minute twist that changes everything. But in … [Read more...] about How to Tell If Your Story Needs a Resolution
A Mother Lode of Resources on Emotional Wounds
Hi everyone! I thought with the release of The Emotional Wound Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Psychological Trauma, I'd do a round up of posts on emotional wounds to help with this super-challenging area. Helpful Posts for Understanding, Identifying, and Showing Emotional Wounds What Is … [Read more...] about A Mother Lode of Resources on Emotional Wounds
What Is the Real Purpose of Writing?
I would imagine that nearly every writer has an understanding of why they write. Most of us have been lifelong readers. Most of us have deeply respected and admired those talented people who produce movies in our head with nothing but strategically placed words. On a more personal level, there’s the … [Read more...] about What Is the Real Purpose of Writing?
Getting Jiggy with the Nitty Gritty, or, Improving Your Sentences
As writers we spend most of our time torn between needing to write and needing to market what we’ve written. Then, when we’re writing, our focus is often on improving our characters or the big picture story and characters’ arcs. But one of the fastest ways to improve your writing (and therefore your … [Read more...] about Getting Jiggy with the Nitty Gritty, or, Improving Your Sentences
What’s the Dark Night Moment All About?
You’re coming to the end of the tunnel, and you see a bright light illuminating the finish line. You are almost through writing your novel! If you’ve done your homework, you’ve carefully worked out the big build to the exciting climax of your story, and you’ve made sure that your protagonist is … [Read more...] about What’s the Dark Night Moment All About?
Meet Our Newest Resident Writing Coaches
It's hard to believe that it's been a year since we started the Resident Writing Coach program, but here we are! This program, designed to bring you high-level writing education from a variety of experts, has been wildly successful. We've had such a huge response to it that continuing the program … [Read more...] about Meet Our Newest Resident Writing Coaches
Using a Novel Journal for Writing Breakthroughs
I was at a Bouchercon some years ago and did a panel with some other thriller authors. Before it began we were interacting with some people in the audience, and a woman in the front row made a funny comment about something I said, and I replied into the mike, “I’ll do the jokes, madam.” We all … [Read more...] about Using a Novel Journal for Writing Breakthroughs
The Emotional Wound Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Psychological Trauma
Understanding the Psychological Impact of a Character’s Past Pain Readers connect to characters with depth, ones that have experienced life’s ups and downs. To bring realistic, compelling characters to the page, writers must know them intimately—not only who they are in the present story, but … [Read more...] about The Emotional Wound Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Psychological Trauma
Struggling with (and Regaining) Confidence in Your Writing
Every writer’s toolbox is unique, containing the techniques, reference books, personal library, and lessons or “best practices” we’ve acquired over time. But there’s one tool that all writers need despite their target audience, genre, or years of experience. It’s just as important as talent, … [Read more...] about Struggling with (and Regaining) Confidence in Your Writing
Character Motivation Thesaurus: Carrying on a Legacy
What does your character want? This is an important question to answer because it determines what your protagonist hopes to achieve by the story's end. If the goal, or outer motivation, is written well, readers will identify fairly quickly what the overall story goal's going to be and … [Read more...] about Character Motivation Thesaurus: Carrying on a Legacy
Motivation Thesaurus: Helping a Loved One Who’s Hurting Themselves
What does your character want? This is an important question to answer because it determines what your protagonist hopes to achieve by the story's end. If the goal, or outer motivation, is written well, readers will identify fairly quickly what the overall story goal's going to be and … [Read more...] about Motivation Thesaurus: Helping a Loved One Who’s Hurting Themselves