What secret is your character keeping? Why are they safeguarding it? What's at stake if it's discovered? Does it need to come out at some point, or should it remain hidden? This is some of the important information you need to know about your character's secrets—and they will have secrets, … [Read more...] about Character Secret Thesaurus Entry: Being a Serial Killer
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How to Hook Readers with Character Descriptions
I think we can all agree that characters are the heart of a novel. We build worlds around our story’s cast, spend dozens of hours plundering their psyche to understand needs, motivations, and beliefs, and even envision complete backstories. Then, of course, we go on to produce tens of thousands of … [Read more...] about How to Hook Readers with Character Descriptions
How to Write Unputdownable Psychological Thrillers
“I read your pages,” said my critique partner. “And I think it’d really increase the tension if you tore the one page out of the book that your main character needs.” It was a great suggestion. My main character was poring over hospital records, searching for a clue about her daughter’s … [Read more...] about How to Write Unputdownable Psychological Thrillers
Character Secret Thesaurus Entry: Monitoring Someone Without Their Knowledge
What secret is your character keeping? Why are they safeguarding it? What's at stake if it's discovered? Does it need to come out at some point, or should it remain hidden? This is some of the important information you need to know about your character's secrets—and they will have secrets, … [Read more...] about Character Secret Thesaurus Entry: Monitoring Someone Without Their Knowledge
Phenomenal First Pages Contest – Guest Editor Edition
Hey, wonderfulwriterly people! It’s time for Phenomenal First Pages, our monthly critique contest. So, if you need a bit of help with your first five pages, today's the day to enter for a chance to win professional feedback! (We've had past winners tell us they've found their dream editors … [Read more...] about Phenomenal First Pages Contest – Guest Editor Edition
Three Ways You’re Losing Your Reader’s Trust
There’s no better feeling than being in the hands of a great storyteller. They have command of the details we need to know, the scenes we need to see, and there’s a lock-step feel to the way the story advances. Strong storytelling isn’t just a unique premise or a character we love. Strong … [Read more...] about Three Ways You’re Losing Your Reader’s Trust
Character Secret Thesaurus Entry: Having An Undisclosed Bias
What secret is your character keeping? Why are they safeguarding it? What's at stake if it's discovered? Does it need to come out at some point, or should it remain hidden? This is some of the important information you need to know about your character's secrets—and they will have secrets, … [Read more...] about Character Secret Thesaurus Entry: Having An Undisclosed Bias
A Description Database for Character Relationships
No matter what genre you write, your characters--and their relationships--are the heart of a story. In fact, relationships help us explore our characters' most meaningful layers while providing readers with the context they need to understand why each character thinks and acts the way they … [Read more...] about A Description Database for Character Relationships
Happy 9th Birthday, One Stop for Writers (Save 25%)
One Stop for Writers' BIRTHDAY WEEK is here! Nine years ago, Becca and I stepped outside our world of book-making and opened the doors of One Stop for Writers, a site filled with one of a kind tools and resources to make writing easier. Year by year, the toolbox at One Stop for Writers has grown … [Read more...] about Happy 9th Birthday, One Stop for Writers (Save 25%)
Character Thesaurus Entry: Using a False Identity
What secret is your character keeping? Why are they safeguarding it? What's at stake if it's discovered? Does it need to come out at some point, or should it remain hidden? This is some of the important information you need to know about your character's secrets—and they will have secrets, … [Read more...] about Character Thesaurus Entry: Using a False Identity
How to Identify Your Writing Business Relationship Type
Try this: Think about your writing or writing business as a partner. Start by giving it a name. What would you call your writing (if you haven’t started selling yet) or writing business (if you are selling books)? Mine is “Dolores,” because she’s demanding. (If your name is Dolores, my … [Read more...] about How to Identify Your Writing Business Relationship Type
Meet Our Resident Writing Coaches
I love being the Writers Helping Writers Blog Wizard…and am honored to work closely with the Resident Writing Coaches. They’re all talented, generous authors who share their wisdom to help take your writing to the next level. I've learned so much from them, and have a feeling you have, too! This … [Read more...] about Meet Our Resident Writing Coaches