Using Talents and Skills to Reveal Hidden Layers
Using Talents and Skills to Reveal Hidden Layers
When you’re creating a well-rounded and realistic character, there are many factors to consider: their backstory, personality traits, fears, desires…the list goes on. Each is important because it plays a…
Read more…Originalizing Your Story Idea
Originalizing Your Story Idea
I’ve been thinking a lot recently about differentiation—how we can make our stories stand out from all the others. Customers are being more careful with their money, which means they’re…
Read more…Build Suspense With Secrets
Build Suspense With Secrets
Have you wondered what makes a book unputdownable? What techniques or tricks an author employs to make sure you read that next word, sentence, paragraph, page? One of the most…
Read more…Find the Secrets Exercise & Giveaway
Find the Secrets Exercise & Giveaway
In my Build Suspense With Secrets post, I include a bonus exercise and giveaway. For those who want practice detecting secrets, I’m offering up the first scene of my latest…
Read more…Force Your Character to Make Hard Choices
Force Your Character to Make Hard Choices
One of the best things about conflict is that it pushes your characters to act. In every scene, your characters are making choices—big ones and small ones, and thereby steering…
Read more…Writing Antagonists Readers Can’t Help But Like
Writing Antagonists Readers Can’t Help But Like
There’s a dirty little secret among many of us readers: well-written antagonists get our blood pumping. When a scene come along with them in it, well, we lean closer. Grin…
Read more…Conflict Thesaurus: Losing a Vital Item
Conflict Thesaurus: Losing a Vital Item
Sourced from The Conflict Thesaurus, Volume 2 EXAMPLES: Not having a map or compass in an outdoor environmentLosing a phone or laptopA family heirloom being misplacedThe character losing their passport…
Read more…Conflict Thesaurus: Being Injured
Conflict Thesaurus: Being Injured
Sourced from The Conflict Thesaurus, Volume 2 EXAMPLES:Slipping on a wet floorFalling down a flight of stairsMisusing a tool and sustaining an injuryOverexerting while working outBeing injured while playing a…
Read more…Using Crisis to Reveal Character
Using Crisis to Reveal Character
In the writing community, a crisis (also known as a “dilemma”) happens when a character has to choose between two opposing things. And he can’t have both. Shawn Coyne, author…
Read more…Choosing the Right Job for Your Character
Choosing the Right Job for Your Character
By Becca Puglisi As human beings, our work is very important. Choosing a career is one of the biggest decisions we make in life, and we often put a ton…
Read more…Is My Story A Mystery, Horror or Thriller?
Is My Story A Mystery, Horror or Thriller?
By Lucy V Hay Lots of writers enjoy mystery, horror and thriller novels … but are not too sure what differentiates them. As a result, when they attempt their own,…
Read more…Writing Magic in a Real-World Setting
Writing Magic in a Real-World Setting
By Liz Keller Whitehurst For centuries, people have been spellbound by magic and the supernatural. Ghosts, curses, talking creatures, portals to alternate dimensions…there’s just too much creative fodder for authors…
Read more…
Comments are closed.