Do Your Characters Worry About Money?

January 14, 2016, 9:59 am

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  by Andrea Lundgren It’s a topic that, in real life, we think about more than we’d like to admit: how much we make, how much we can spend, and how we can make more money all has a place in our thoughts. (And if we’re being completely honest, we’d have to say that making … Continue reading Do Your Characters Worry About Money? →

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What Words to Avoid in Your Writing

January 20, 2016, 9:59 am

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  by K. Ross Writing is tricky. Trying to express your meaning clearly can be hard enough, but also making it engaging can be quite the balancing act. As a writer, I’m still working on it, but as an editor, ill-considered or lazy writing jumps off the page at me like a facehugger from Aliens. … Continue reading What Words to Avoid in Your Writing →

Use Your Verbs

January 23, 2016, 9:59 am

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  by Joel Orr An easy way to empower your writing, build your voice, and help your audience better ‘see’ your message is to utilize verbs over qualifiers like adjectives and adverbs. It’s easy to fall into a habit of using words as they’re ‘assigned’ – adjectives show, so I guess we’ll use them to show … Continue reading Use Your Verbs →

How to Write Battle Scenes

January 26, 2016, 9:59 am

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  In my experience, writing battle scenes is a very dangerous endeavor. A writer has to walk a fine line between giving too much away and giving too little. While this is true of writing in general, it is especially true of combat. Many writers have a tendency to over-describe battle scenes. I once did this, too, … Continue reading How to Write Battle Scenes →

20 Tips For Writing a Captivating Short Story (Part 1)

January 29, 2016, 9:59 am

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  by Mindy Halleck Today, as I edit, trim, cut, and otherwise obliterate a short story I wrote that ended up to be 8,000 words, but needs to be 5,000 words, I am reminded of this quote: “Not that the story need be long, but it will take a long while to make it short.” … Continue reading 20 Tips For Writing a Captivating Short Story (Part 1) →

20 Tips For Writing a Captivating Short Story (Part 2)

February 1, 2016, 9:59 am

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  by Mindy Halleck [Continued from part 1] 11. Start in the POV (the head) of your main protagonist. It’s best to use their name right in the first sentence to establish them as the POV character, the one readers will identify with and cheer for. As soon as possible let readers know their approximate … Continue reading 20 Tips For Writing a Captivating Short Story (Part 2) →

How to Deepen Your Worldbuilding

February 4, 2016, 9:59 am

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  By Cecilia Lewis Setting and worldbuilding are critical aspects of your novel. Having a vivid setting can pull readers into your story and bring it to life, and unique worldbuilding is often what sets a book apart. In editing both my clients’ books and my own, I find that establishing the setting is an … Continue reading How to Deepen Your Worldbuilding →

Can I Write Novels Even if I Haven’t Had an Interesting Life?

February 7, 2016, 9:59 am

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  By Larry Kahaner I came across a blog from Guy Portman titled “10 Famous Authors’ Day Jobs” in which he lists… well…you get it. What struck me most from reading Guy’s blog post is how many famous authors eventually gave up their day jobs (Natch. They’re famous.) and how many used what they knew … Continue reading Can I Write Novels Even if I Haven’t Had an Interesting Life? →

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Help! My Characters Are All Too Similar! 5 Tips to Make Them Distinct

February 10, 2016, 9:59 am

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  by Roz Morris I’ve been asked this question twice recently–in a conversation on G+ and by a student at my Guardian masterclass the other week. In both cases, the writers had encouraging feedback from agents, but one crucial criticism: the characters all seemed too similar. And probably this wasn’t surprising because of their story … Continue reading Help! My Characters Are All Too Similar! 5 Tips to Make Them Distinct →

How to Build Your Characters in Six Easy Steps

February 19, 2016, 9:59 am

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  by Nat Leblanc So you’ve got a great idea for a novel or story that you’re DYING to tell. The premise is profound, the symbolism is subtle, and the big reveal at the end is going to blow your readers’ minds. You throw together an outline and show it to an editor friend. They … Continue reading How to Build Your Characters in Six Easy Steps →

The Benefits of the Written Word Upon the Worried Mind

February 22, 2016, 9:59 am

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  by Vincent Mars While my medical adventures drag on, slowed down by paperwork and the (un)availability of doctors, I am trying to take things easy, to eat healthy food, to go on enjoyable walks every day, to rest, and, of course, to read and write. You know already that writing about your life and … Continue reading The Benefits of the Written Word Upon the Worried Mind →

The One-Trick Pony: Characters with Limited Growth

February 25, 2016, 9:59 am

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  by Andrew R. Cameron It’s the end of another semester of university, which means I’ve been inundated with marking and will likely remain inundated for the next fortnight. But I enjoy marking Creative Writing pieces–the sheer diversity of imagination never fails to impress me. I’ve been teaching Genre Fiction this semester, which means I get … Continue reading The One-Trick Pony: Characters with Limited Growth →

Pseudonyms: The What, Why, and How of Pen Names

March 2, 2016, 9:59 am

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  Pseudonyms…pen names. I guess before I jump in, an explanation is in order. I’ve been toying with the idea of creating a pseudonym under which I’d like to publish a series of romance novels. No joke. So I figured I’d explore the idea of pseudonyms and take you along for the ride.   The … Continue reading Pseudonyms: The What, Why, and How of Pen Names →

How Story Structure Relates to Our Lives

March 5, 2016, 9:59 am

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  by Sue Coletta I’ve become a structure-holic. I see it everywhere: books, TV, movies, and in life. This obsession has now spilled over into my blog, because I firmly believe knowing how to structure our novels is crucial. It ensures our stories flow properly, shows our character arc, and gives readers satisfaction. When it … Continue reading How Story Structure Relates to Our Lives →

Book Quote Corner

April 5, 2016, 12:30 pm

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  “Truth didn’t mean anything without someone to to share it with; you could shout truth in to the air forever, and spend your life doing it, if someone didn’t come and listen.” -Uprooted (written by Naomi Novik)              

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Book Quote Corner

April 12, 2016, 9:59 am

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  “Home isn’t where you’re from; it’s where you find light when all grows dark.” -Golden Son (written by Pierce Brown)       The Lighter Side of Collecting Discover the funny, quirky world of collecting with a seasoned dealer/collector and an award-winning cartoonist, John Stinger. From rarified antiques and vintage collectibles to pop culture … Continue reading Book Quote Corner →

Top Posts of Winter 2015/2016

April 16, 2016, 9:59 am

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  Hello everyone! Spring is upon us, so it’s time to take a look back to check out the top posts of this past winter. Feel free to click any of the links below to take a read. Results are calculated by page reads.   20 Tips For Writing a Captivating Short Story (part 2) 2. … Continue reading Top Posts of Winter 2015/2016 →

Book Quote Corner

April 19, 2016, 9:59 am

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“I am a collection of oddities, a circus of neurons and electrons: my soul is the trapeze artist, and the world is my audience. It sounds strange because it is, and it is, because I am strange.” -Mosquitoland (written by David Arnold)                

Book Quote Corner

April 24, 2016, 9:59 am

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  “The future was one thing that could never be broken, because it had not yet had the chance to be anything.” -Saint Anything (written by Sarah Dessen)                

Book Quote Corner

April 26, 2016, 9:59 am

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  “The truth requires no apology.” -The Mime Order (written by Samantha Shannon)