Becca and I are big believers in paying it forward, which is why we have so many resources available here for free. (Go on, check them out!) We are able to do what we do because of your support, so thank you! Sometimes people ask us what else they can do beyond buying our books, or if we … [Read more...] about Pay-It-Forward
Search Results for: theme
Introducing One Stop For Writers’ Worldbuilding Tool
We've all read amazing fiction where the world itself captivated us as much as the characters did. And let's all admit it, when we hit the last page of the final book in the series, a little piece of our soul died, because we knew we'd have no more new adventures in that world. Isn't this … [Read more...] about Introducing One Stop For Writers’ Worldbuilding Tool
Character Motivation Thesaurus: Being Acknowledged & Appreciated by Family
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: Being Acknowledged & Appreciated by Family
Editing with Text-to-Speech Software
When I was preparing to edit my novel last year, one technique I considered was reading each chapter out loud. That way, I could hear the words instead of simply seeing them, and gauge whether sentences or paragraphs were too long through listening. Yet I also saw the drawbacks: Reading each chapter … [Read more...] about Editing with Text-to-Speech Software
The Secret of a Successful Mystery: Making the Reader a Participator
A lot of great stories have a mystery in them. The mystery may not be the primary focus; it might be the secondary, or the mystery might be so minor it lasts only a few chapters. But whatever the case, it should draw readers into your story and keep them turning the pages. That only happens, though, … [Read more...] about The Secret of a Successful Mystery: Making the Reader a Participator
How To Accurately Write About Your Character’s Pain
The best thing about this online world of ours is you never know who you are going to meet. I don't know about you, but one of the areas I struggle with is writing a character's pain in a way that is raw, realistic...but not just "one-note." So when I crossed paths with a paramedic-turned-writer, I … [Read more...] about How To Accurately Write About Your Character’s Pain
Character Motivation Thesaurus: Dealing with Mental Health Condition
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: Dealing with Mental Health Condition
Character Motivation Thesaurus: Being a Leader
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 they'll know … [Read more...] about Character Motivation Thesaurus: Being a Leader
Character Motivation Thesaurus: Catching the Bad Guy/Girl
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 they'll know … [Read more...] about Character Motivation Thesaurus: Catching the Bad Guy/Girl
Happy Holidays: Our Most Popular 2016 Posts For Writers
It's that time of year where Becca and I sneak off to the liquor cabinet for some adult beverages to drink some rich hot chocolate in front of a roaring fire so we can enjoy some family togetherness and reflect on all the wonders the universe has brought us this year. We hope that you will all … [Read more...] about Happy Holidays: Our Most Popular 2016 Posts For Writers
Character Motivation Entry: Escaping Confinement
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 they'll know … [Read more...] about Character Motivation Entry: Escaping Confinement
5 Visualization Techniques to Help Your Writing Craft
Happy to welcome high-performance coach and author Nina Amir to the blog today. She's got some great techniques for you to try if you ever hit a brainstorming wall, so please read on! Plot. Scene. Character. Setting. Point of view. Theme. Literary devices. You've studied and practiced how to … [Read more...] about 5 Visualization Techniques to Help Your Writing Craft