There’s a Reason It’s Called the Idiot Box
In a new post on Nail Your Novel, Roz Morris says a little television is ok, but too much can spoil your writing. While...
How to Manage A Footnotes Fetish
In their latest episode, the Writing Excuses hosts discuss how to use footnotes to tell a fictional story. A cousin to the story-within-a-story structure,...
Deeper Scenes Draw Readers Into Your Story
In a guest post on Writers in the Storm, Janice Hardy offers advice on adding depth to your scenes.
As Hardy wrote her debut novel,...
What is Your Novel’s Unstoppable Force?
In a post on Writer Unboxed, Donald Maass advises writers to consider the unstoppable forces at play in their stories.
In nature, such unstoppable forces...
Historical Fiction: Using Real-Life People as Characters
During an interview with the DIY MFA podcast, Jody Hadlock talks about using historical figures as characters in your novel. They also discuss:
The...
Memories are More than Back Story
"Memory is a tricky thing," writes Kristen Lamb in a recent blog post. "We like to believe our brains are like a video camera...
Great Historical Fiction is a Balancing Act
In an article for Writer's Digest, Catherine Hokin shares six tips for writing great historical fiction that balances the truth with imagination. Hokin's lessons...
How to Order Your Writing when Disorder is Your Goal
Continuing their series with guest host Peng Shepherd, the Writing Excuses hosts discuss "order-less reading order." In a sense, this disordered reading experience is...
Why We Fight
In the latest in her series for Writer's Digest, trained fighter and author Carla Hoch says that any fight scene should have a strong...
Keep Minor Characters Minor
In a new blog post, Anne R. Allen shares her advice for developing great secondary characters who don't take over your story. "There’s an old...
