The month of November is a bit of a sugar high, isn’t it? There’s Nanowrimo, and the stream of words fueled by coffee, old Halloween candy, Kraft Dinner and not enough sleep. The Muse is fired up, leading us down the Yellow Brick Road and we follow at full throttle, writing whatever craziness comes … [Read more...] about STOP! What To Do Before Revising A Nano Novel
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Conflict vs. Tension
One of my favorite Aha moments as a writer came in the form of feedback from a critiquer. (Shout out to all the critique partners!) She kept writing notes in my manuscript, like Where’s the tension? and This would be a good spot to add some tension. No tension? What’s she … [Read more...] about Conflict vs. Tension
The Four Types of Character Flaws
As writers, we know our characters should have positive and negative attributes because in real life, each individual is a mix of both. Flaws are especially important as in the character's weaker moments, they dictate their thoughts, actions and behaviors, leading to poor decisions and mistakes. … [Read more...] about The Four Types of Character Flaws
Finding Your Character’s Weakness
So happy to welcome Jordan McCollum to the blog today, talking about something close to my heart--character strengths and weaknesses. Authors love their characters--this is fact. If they didn't, then they wouldn't spend the next year or two (or ten!) writing their life story. But as much as we … [Read more...] about Finding Your Character’s Weakness
BOOKSTORE
Craft Powerful Stories by Mastering Description A writer's goal is to create story magic, drawing readers into the fictional lives of characters so they experience another's life journey as if it were their own. To bend the reader's reality in such a way requires skilled handling of a … [Read more...] about BOOKSTORE
WRITING TOOLS
Need help with your story or characters? You've come to the right place. Many of our writing guides contain ingenious tools that help you better understand key aspects of story planning and character building. We've turned these into printable "blanks" so you can download them and use as … [Read more...] about WRITING TOOLS
10 Things You Don’t Want In Your Novel
Crafting a story is a bit like juggling--so many elements must come into play at the right moment to put on an amazing show. There's the strong, compelling hero, damaged in some way that the reader identifies with, up against impossible odds. There's a vivid setting brimming with symbols and … [Read more...] about 10 Things You Don’t Want In Your Novel
Hiding Emotions From Others: The Just Act Normal Technique
As humans, we value honesty and strive to be as truthful as we can as often as we can. But in truth, protection is also important to our species, and many times it trumps honesty. To protect ourselves, everyone periodically resorts to deception—to avoid consequences, to get what we want, to keep … [Read more...] about Hiding Emotions From Others: The Just Act Normal Technique
6-1/2 Things I Learned from NaNoWriMo
For many of you, NaNoWriMo is in full swing. Some of you are proud of your progress. Some of you would like to wipe out your hard drive to get rid of every shred of evidence. Despite being a huge fan, I haven't done NaNo, but I can imagine that around this point, roughly 2/3rds of the way through, … [Read more...] about 6-1/2 Things I Learned from NaNoWriMo
Shannon Messenger: Writing ‘Kid’ Voice
I am so pleased to welcome Shannon Messenger to the blog today! Shannon is a wonderfully supportive writer who is doing big things in the kid lit world. Not only is book 1 of her MG series, Keeper of the Lost Cities(Simon & Schuster) releasing Oct 2nd, but she also has a YA coming out in the … [Read more...] about Shannon Messenger: Writing ‘Kid’ Voice
Character Trait: Serious
Definition: having a thoughtful or subdued manner Causes: being more inclined to internal thought than external expression; an underdeveloped sense of humor; a strong sense of duty to others; being forced to grow up too early and become responsible at an early age; the belief that any kind of fun … [Read more...] about Character Trait: Serious
Blog Takeover: Janice Hardy On Style
I'm swapping blogs today with the oh-so-awesome Janice Hardy, author of the imaginative Healing Wars Trilogy & Writing Mastermind of The Other Side Of The Story. Janice is one of the most knowledgeable writers I know, and her MG series is among my favorites. It's a pleasure to hand her the keys … [Read more...] about Blog Takeover: Janice Hardy On Style