Writing only consists of what is on the page, but it doesn’t, but it does, but it doesn’t. If you have ever thought about what writing is, you probably have realized that it is a very complex process. Speech is a complex process in and of itself, but writing goes beyond speech. It follows after […]
The Necessary Space Between the Writing Read More »
Something things in writing are boring. I find copy-editing boring. Formatting is not that fun either. Neither is sending out queries to agents. Some of you may find outlining a boring part of the book, and some of you may find outlining so boring you have labelled it as useless so you do not even
An Easy Way to Plot Your Book Read More »
What is a hook? It is a thing at the beginning of a book that grabs the readers attention and makes him want to read more. A hook can be dropping the reader right into the action. It can be a quick snippet of dialogue. It can be a description, or an aphorism, or a
A New Way to Understand Hooks Read More »
There are two types of writers. We call these two different groups of writers “pantsers” and “plotters” (You may call these something else, but we all fall into one of these two groups). Pansters do little to no planning. They have a general sense of where they are going, and they feel their way through
Should You Outline Your Book? Read More »
I cannot say this enough: your main character is at the core of your story. The main character is what the reader experiences your story through. With few exceptions, your story is going to be understood through your main characters. Whoever you make that character is going to color every aspect of your story. If
Five Tips When Writing Characters Read More »
Nicholas Cage seeks to steal the Declaration of Independence. Indiana Jones is searching for the Holy Grail. Luke Skywalker is trying to become a Jedi. Forrest Gump? I think his goals change throughout the story, but in the movie, he is usually trying to find Jenny. Each of these characters are going after something. Each
Character Motivation vs. Character Goal: They Are Not the Same Thing Read More »
Writing the first draft of your book is hard. It is especially difficult when it is your first book. I am sure it can be a lot like running a marathon for the first time. Your legs keep moving. You know that you are making progress, but the finish line never feels like it is
Drafting a Book Without Going Insane: A Way to Actually Get Your First Draft Written Read More »
If you are reading this, you are probably interested in writing, and if you are interested in writing, you are probably interested in reading. I think this is a safe assumption to make, because every writer I have met has started off as a reader. And, in fact, reading is a prerequisite to writing. You
Earning Character Development Read More »
Have you ever read a book you can’t put down? You know, one of those books that makes you stay up so late in the night that by the time you put it down the sun has already started to rise? I think all of us have read at least one book that was so
What is tension? (The Foundation of Making Your Writing Suspenseful) Read More »
Character creation is something I enjoy a lot in stories. It isn’t my favorite part of writing, but it is in the top ten. One of the reasons I enjoy writing characters is because I do not find it a hard thing to do. The first step of developing characters for me is finding the
Creating Characters: Three Ways to Find Ideas for Your Characters Read More »
