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...
Don’t R.U.E. the Day!
In a post on the Killzone blog, Terry Odell offers advice on R.U.E. - Resisting the Urge to Explain. "As authors, we want to make...
Who is Telling Your Story?
You're writing a story, but who is telling it? Through whose eyes does the narrative unfold? Whose feelings and perceptions flavor your description and...
Don’t Leave Your Details Behind the Curtain
How much information is enough? It's the question that plagues writers. Too much, and you risk boring your reader or hitting them over the...
Obsessed Much? How to Write a Character With (Very) Strong Desires
For your story to have any focus and drive, your characters need to want something. Under the right circumstances, you might even want them...
Writing Unlikeable Characters
During an interview with DIY MFA, Rob Hart (The Paradox Hotel) discusses:
Why naming characters is important and where he found the names for...
How Do You Write Subtext?
Like actors, writers rely on subtext to show what their characters are thinking and feeling. Unlike actors, writers can't rely on visual cues for...
