Writers come in a variety pack of processes. The most common types – regardless of genre – are pantsers, plotters, and plantsers. We know these terms well, right? And Then There Are Story Quilters Like Me These storytellers might do one or all of the three methods above, but probably not in … [Read more...] about Writing a Novel, Scene by Scene
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Character Secret Thesaurus Entry: Coveting Someone Else’s Life
What secret is your character keeping? Why are they safeguarding it? What's at stake if it's discovered? Does it need to come out at some point, or should it remain hidden? This is some of the important information you need to know about your character's secrets—and they will have secrets, … [Read more...] about Character Secret Thesaurus Entry: Coveting Someone Else’s Life
Why Every Writer Should Try Their Hand at a Horror Story
By Savannah Cordova Affiliate links below It’s that time of year again: the leaves are changing color, the wind is getting chillier, and pumpkins are decorating doorsteps. And given that today is Halloween, there’s no better time to pen a spooky story of your own — even (perhaps especially!) … [Read more...] about Why Every Writer Should Try Their Hand at a Horror Story
Best Communities for Marketing Your Writing
By Eleanor Hecks Whether you publish traditionally or independently, getting the word out about your books requires a lot of work and monetary investment. Social media is an obvious choice for promoting your writing because you can zone in and target your reader base. You also don’t have to … [Read more...] about Best Communities for Marketing Your Writing
Character Secret Thesaurus Entry: Being a Serial Killer
What secret is your character keeping? Why are they safeguarding it? What's at stake if it's discovered? Does it need to come out at some point, or should it remain hidden? This is some of the important information you need to know about your character's secrets—and they will have secrets, … [Read more...] about Character Secret Thesaurus Entry: Being a Serial Killer
How to Hook Readers with Character Descriptions
I think we can all agree that characters are the heart of a novel. We build worlds around our story’s cast, spend dozens of hours plundering their psyche to understand needs, motivations, and beliefs, and even envision complete backstories. Then, of course, we go on to produce tens of thousands of … [Read more...] about How to Hook Readers with Character Descriptions
How to Write Unputdownable Psychological Thrillers
“I read your pages,” said my critique partner. “And I think it’d really increase the tension if you tore the one page out of the book that your main character needs.” It was a great suggestion. My main character was poring over hospital records, searching for a clue about her daughter’s … [Read more...] about How to Write Unputdownable Psychological Thrillers
Character Secret Thesaurus Entry: Monitoring Someone Without Their Knowledge
What secret is your character keeping? Why are they safeguarding it? What's at stake if it's discovered? Does it need to come out at some point, or should it remain hidden? This is some of the important information you need to know about your character's secrets—and they will have secrets, … [Read more...] about Character Secret Thesaurus Entry: Monitoring Someone Without Their Knowledge
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 a bit of help with your first five pages, today's the day to enter for a chance to win professional feedback! (We've had past winners tell us they've found their dream editors … [Read more...] about Phenomenal First Pages Contest – Guest Editor Edition
Three Ways You’re Losing Your Reader’s Trust
There’s no better feeling than being in the hands of a great storyteller. They have command of the details we need to know, the scenes we need to see, and there’s a lock-step feel to the way the story advances. Strong storytelling isn’t just a unique premise or a character we love. Strong … [Read more...] about Three Ways You’re Losing Your Reader’s Trust
Character Secret Thesaurus Entry: Having An Undisclosed Bias
What secret is your character keeping? Why are they safeguarding it? What's at stake if it's discovered? Does it need to come out at some point, or should it remain hidden? This is some of the important information you need to know about your character's secrets—and they will have secrets, … [Read more...] about Character Secret Thesaurus Entry: Having An Undisclosed Bias
A Description Database for Character Relationships
No matter what genre you write, your characters--and their relationships--are the heart of a story. In fact, relationships help us explore our characters' most meaningful layers while providing readers with the context they need to understand why each character thinks and acts the way they … [Read more...] about A Description Database for Character Relationships