5 Essential Character Traits For Ourselves, Not Our Creations
By Joshua Isard
In:
Character
It’s important to develop the kind of personal character that’ll help us get through everything the writing life throws our way.
10 Tips to Help You Write Believable Dialogue
In:
Dialogue
Dialogue can make or break a novel. Here are some pointers to help you write better dialogue.
Taking the Stage: How Storytellers Saved My Ambition to Write
The story of how I fell into a hole with my writing career, and the strategy I developed to climb back out.
When To Utilize An Ensemble Cast and How To Do It Well
By Joshua Isard
Would your story benefit from multiple POVs? And does it have the scope to sustain them?
Writing Emotions Effectively
By Repo Kempt
In:
Character
A guide to portraying emotions in your fiction.
Bearskin: A Fast Read 20 Years in the Making
The story of a fifty-four year old’s debut novel. Twenty-plus years of writing, revising, letting it sit, then rewriting and re-revising some more.
Storyville: Creating Tension in Your Fiction
How do you create tension in your fiction? Here are some tips.
Make Your Characters More Interesting With Lies
By Peter Derk
Ask yourself: When's the last time I had one of my characters tell a real whopper?
When it's Okay to be Uncertain
In:
Literary Devices
A look at when uncertainty can make fiction stronger.
Don't Go Back: Avoid Spinning Your Wheels on Old Stories
In:
Rewriting
While it's tempting to revisit old stories that never quite got off the ground, it can be harmful to your progress as a writer.
The Three Times Your Novel is Finished
In:
Rewriting
Ask an author how long it took them to write a book, and the answer is always different. Here are three times a novel is finished, and how they each relate to author mindset.
Hurdles and a Pyramid: Plotting Your Short Story
By Joshua Isard
In:
Structure
Make Freytag's Pyramid work for you, not the other way around.
Writing the Crime Scene: Blood
By Repo Kempt
In:
Research
A guide to writing realistic crime and horror fiction when your manuscript involves blood.
Research Isn't Writing
In:
Research
Research is important, but you don't want to become a researcher. Learn how to research as a writer instead of writing as a researcher.
The Second-Draft Slump: How to Get Through Edits
In:
Rewriting
The first draft always feels like the hardest part to finish...until you start the second draft. Get through the second-draft slump with these tips.
How to Hide Exposition Through Action
In:
Literary Devices
"Show, don't tell," they say. But telling is necessary. It's just a matter of doing it right. Hide your exposition through action.
The Two Lukes: Comparing and Contrasting 'Dark Empire' and 'The Last Jedi'
By Bart Bishop
In:
Character
A look back at the portrayal of Luke Skywalker in 'Dark Empire' as compared to 'The Last Jedi.'
The 12 Steps for Struggling Writers
If these steps can help alcoholics stay sober, maybe they can also help struggling writers.
5 Reasons Why You Should Write a Screenplay
Writers of prose would do well to follow the methods of screenwriters to help immerse readers in their story.
10 Easy Ways to Improve Your First Chapter Right Now
By Repo Kempt
In:
Rewriting
Learn how to identify and fix common problems in your opening chapter.
So You Want To Write About The Cold
By Peter Derk
In:
Setting
Want to make a reader shiver? Here are a few tips.
Why Microsoft Word's New Grammar and Style Corrections Suck
By Peter Derk
In:
Grammar
Why is the new Microsoft Word trying to boss me around?
Why Coming of Age Crime Stories Work So Well
In:
Theme
The movie adaptation of 'The November Criminals' reminds us that coming of age crime stories are the best kinds of stories.
Write Who You Don’t Know?
By Kat Hausler
In:
Character
'Retrograde' author Kat Hausler ponders the question: Should you base your characters on people you know? Well, yes and no...
The Birth of Jace Salome
In:
Character
Barker sets his protagonist down in a world peppered predominantly with men; men who bulge with maleness and refuse to stop spraying their eau de testosterone everywhere.
