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As November and NaNoWriMo wind down, many participants are closing in on their novel’s ending. It’s hard to start a novel—sometimes even harder to know where to end. Writing Tip for Today: Here are a few tips to help you write your novel’s ending: Three-Act Structure The classic three-act structure breaks down a novel into […]
At this time of year, many writers—even those doing NaNoWriMo—must deal with personal and family drama and chaos. How does this impact your writing life? Writing Tip for Today: Here are a few ways to both weather and use the drama and chaos of the holiday season: Jealous Families They say home is where they […]
If you are writing a NaNoWriMo novel, you’ll still need the six elements of a Story Chain. Writing Tip for Today: What’s a Story Chain and how do you create one? Character + Desire Most novels start out as a character the writer envisions. When you create a character, you imbue them with personality, values, […]
Welcome to November, when would-be novelists everywhere begin a race to 50,000 words. But before you write, consider the shape of your story. Writing Tip for Today: For NaNoWriMo participants (and other novelists), here are a few tips for making the most of your race to 50k words: The Who Most novelists create a character […]
It’s a story’s pivotal moment—the one where everything changes for your character. One moment, this protagonist thinks all is lost, then somehow finds inner strength to meet the biggest challenge. But how do you write this? The key word is in the somehow. Writing Tip for Today: Stories are more satisfying and believable if […]
If you write fiction, chances are that you’ve heard the term “hero’s journey.” But what does that actually mean for you as the writer? Writing Tip for Today: Let’s talk about the hero’s journey and what it means for your story. Somebody to Love Your hero or she-roe must be someone whom readers can at […]
These days, when we say “writing,” we mostly mean typing. Cue all the yellow pad holdouts! Writing Tip for Today: Today’s post will be a little shorter than usual. My eighty-nine-year-old mom has just entered hospice and so my attention may be a little distracted over the next weeks to months. Meanwhile, let’s discuss […]
Much of what writers do involves waiting. We submit our work to publishers or periodicals, hoping for good news, growing thick skin for bad news. Writing Tip for Today: Here are some tips for handling both good and bad writing news: Twenty-four Rule I started writing in high school, when a creative writing teacher insisted […]
Last post, we discussed how creating a passionate character helps readers engage. Today, we’ll talk about how conflict helps your characters move through their passions to achieve a goal. Writing Tip for Today: What are some ways to increase conflict in your characters? Pros and Cons If we call our character the protagonist, it […]
We all want our readers to follow our lead character to the last page. Writing passionate characters will give you increased reader engagement. Writing Tip for Today: Here are a few tips to increase your character’s emotional passion: Let Em Mingle One of the surest ways to turn off readers is by writing long soliloquys, […]
