By Savannah Cordova Stop me if you’ve heard this one: you’re at your desk, laptop or notebook open, hours stretching out before you… but you can’t seem to get the words down. You feel stuck, hopeless, and incapable of moving forward; in other words, you’ve got writer’s block. Luckily, there … [Read more...] about How to Use Writing Prompts to “Unstick” Writer’s Block
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Character Secret Thesaurus: Being an Anonymous Financial Donor
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: Being an Anonymous Financial Donor
Writing 101: Dialogue Mechanics
Strong dialogue isn’t just about the words being said—it’s also about how those words are presented on the page. If you’re newer to writing, there’s a lot to learn about storytelling—from big-picture techniques like show-don’t-tell to the more foundational aspects surrounding punctuation and … [Read more...] about Writing 101: Dialogue Mechanics
How to Use Show, Don’t Tell to Strengthen Your Story
Writers hear it all the time: Show, don’t tell. This advice is so iconic that I wouldn’t be surprised if a few tattoos are kicking around the community. After all, our job as writers isn’t to explain what’s happening to readers, it’s to help them experience the story themselves. And show, don’t tell … [Read more...] about How to Use Show, Don’t Tell to Strengthen Your Story
Secret Thesaurus: Withholding Help from Someone in Need
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 Secret Thesaurus: Withholding Help from Someone in Need
Phenomenal First Pages Contest
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 page, 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 through … [Read more...] about Phenomenal First Pages Contest
How To Write A Likeable Character
Likeable characters can become the beating heart of your narrative. Readers root for them and stick with them throughout their journeys. But what exactly makes a character likeable? It’s not just about being nice but making them relatable. So, let's look at how to write such … [Read more...] about How To Write A Likeable Character
Character Secret Thesaurus: Hiding Wealth
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: Hiding Wealth
How to Show Emotional Volatility
Facts are facts: writers throw a lot of rocks at characters. Enemies. Obstacles. Maybe a rabid zombie or two. And we aren’t nice about it, spacing out each projectile, no. We like to line up our canons and see just how many hits a character can take…all in the name of character arc … [Read more...] about How to Show Emotional Volatility
How to Choose the Perfect Talent for Your Character
I truly believe that excellent stories require excellent characters. And with so many books already out there, we’ve got to be able to deliver compelling and realistic characters to set our stories apart. How do we do it? By focusing on the details. And one of the markers that can really boost … [Read more...] about How to Choose the Perfect Talent for Your Character
Character Secret Thesaurus: Knowing Where a Body Is Buried
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: Knowing Where a Body Is Buried
How to Use Amplifiers to Motivate Emotionally Challenging Characters
Like many other kids, I got my first job as a babysitter. You’re probably picturing me as a competent, CPR-trained teenager armed with craft supplies and a boatload of determination. But this was 1981, which means I was a whopping nine years old when someone put me in charge of their kids. Who … [Read more...] about How to Use Amplifiers to Motivate Emotionally Challenging Characters