8 Steps from Amateur to Pro Writer
8 Steps from Amateur to Pro Writer
Every author starts out as a hobbyist. We write as kids, for fun. As we get older, we write when we have free time or the fit takes us. For…
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…Why Writers Should Be Their Own Valentine This Year
Why Writers Should Be Their Own Valentine This Year
Valentine’s Day is coming, and people have big feelings about it. On one hand, it’s nice to have a set day to celebrate loved ones, but on the other, pressure…
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…How to Generate Powerful Story Conflict
How to Generate Powerful Story Conflict
Conflict is a powerful tool for storytellers, allowing us to place roadblocks, challenges, adversaries and more in a character’s way so the road to their goal is much more difficult.…
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…
Read more…Scene Mastery: Navigating Common Goal-Driven Scene Pitfalls
Scene Mastery: Navigating Common Goal-Driven Scene Pitfalls
Goal-driven scenes are akin to the classic joke setup, “A _____ and a _____ walk into a bar …” A _____ and a _____ walk into a bar. The scene…
Read more…Strong Character Relationships: From Friendships to Romance
Strong Character Relationships: From Friendships to Romance
As a romance author, I’ve learned how to portray deep romantic relationships between my characters, focusing on techniques to make the relationship believable, healthy, and something readers will root for.…
Read more…Five Elements of Relationship Plotlines
Five Elements of Relationship Plotlines
Whether you are writing romance, adventure, fantasy, or mystery, nearly every well-told story has a relationship plotline. Unfortunately, though, entertaining banter or fiery arguments alone aren’t enough to sustain that…
Read more…Tips for Writing a Successful Story Climax
Tips for Writing a Successful Story Climax
Escalation is an important element of story structure. The opening pages are often quiet as key players are introduced, the setting is established, and readers are given a glimpse of…
Read more…NaNoWriMo: Top Tips for Smashing Out 50K
NaNoWriMo: Top Tips for Smashing Out 50K
The iconic NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) challenge has many of you rolling up your sleeves to pound out a novel. Becca and I love this event because it is…
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