Creating Suspense in any Genre
Creating Suspense in any Genre
When we think about suspense in writing, we naturally leap to thrillers and mysteries, genres that are known for suspense and rely on it. But that doesn’t mean the rest…
Read more…Story Structure as a Fractal
Story Structure as a Fractal
Structure is critical to every story. And it’s highly likely that if you are reading this article, you are familiar with the most basic shape of story structure. This one:…
Read more…Five Vehicles for Adding Subtext to Dialogue
Five Vehicles for Adding Subtext to Dialogue
Realistic, evocative dialogue is an important part of any successful story. We need our characters’ interactions to be authentic, consistent, and engaging to draw readers in to what’s happening. So…
Read more…A Mother Lode of Resources on Emotion Amplifiers
A Mother Lode of Resources on Emotion Amplifiers
Angela and I have been busy bees the past few months, creating as much content as we could surrounding emotion amplifiers—a little-known storytelling element that’s great for elevating a character’s…
Read more…Top 10 Tips On Writing A Fantasy Novel
Top 10 Tips On Writing A Fantasy Novel
What Makes Up Fantasy As A Genre? If you want to write a fantasy novel, it pays to understand what goes into this fascinating genre. Fantasy conventions can vary widely,…
Read more…How to Fix Big Story Problems
How to Fix Big Story Problems
Is there anything more frustrating than knowing there’s a problem with our story, but not being sure how to fix it? We wish for an easy button in these moments,…
Read more…Three Easy Steps to Generate a Goal Using Fear as Motivation
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…
Read more…The Emotion Amplifier Thesaurus (May 2024 Release)
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…
Read more…Breathing Life into Characters
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…
Read more…The Pirate’s Guide to Writing Fantasy
The Pirate’s Guide to Writing Fantasy
Remember the scene in Pirates of the Caribbean when Captain Barbossa explains the pirate’s code? “The code is more what you’d call guidelines than actual rules.” Writing fantasy is a…
Read more…Tension and the Power of Unanswered Questions
Tension and the Power of Unanswered Questions
Have you ever been a bit hazy on the difference between conflict and tension? If so, you aren’t alone. It’s common to confuse the two because they’re often used together…
Read more…Failure in Fiction
Failure in Fiction
Writers need to have a sadistic streak to inflict pain—emotional or physical—on our beloved characters repeatedly, but failure is important in fiction. Without it, the story drags. Why to Include…
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