Human Connection is in the Details
An article on BookBaby suggests a deceptively simple method for making emotional connections with your readers: using evocative details and engaging their senses in...
M.I.C.E. Quotient, After the Fact
In their eighth and final episode discussing the M.I.C.E. quotient, the Writing Excuses hosts explore using M.I.C.E. as a diagnostic tool. For example, if...
Use Dialogue to Convey Subtext
Subtext is easier to spot in visual storytelling. It's body language and facial expression. It's the way an actor's voice catches when they speak...
How to Research Your Book
This editor hasn't done any serious literary research since college (Wiki-holes don't count). But, those old term paper skills do come in handy when...
“That’s Not Writing, That’s Typing.”
Word count goals. NaNoWriMo. Writing sprints. Everywhere you turn, writers are told to ignore their inner editor, shut the thesaurus, tune out the world,...
Don’t Forget to Bring Your Brain to a Knife Fight
In a guest post on Kristen Lamb's blog, writer Piper Bayard offers advice on writing kick-ass fight scenes. "We all have our favorite ways...
How Far is Too Far? How Narrative Distance Affects Telling
Beginning writers are often confounded by narrative distance. Point of view - first person, third person - is easier to grasp, but bringing your...
Rivals, Bullies, and Frenemies: Tips for Developing Multiple Kinds of Opponents
Conflict is at the heart of every story and integral to every element. If your protagonist has no opponent - human or otherwise -...
The Secret Power of Failure
Most novels chart the journey of a protagonist towards a worthy goal and culminate in their success, usually after experiencing great difficulty or tragedy....
Your Villain Needs Humanity, History
Creating a one-dimensional villain is a cardinal sin of writing. While readers love to root against a bad guy, they need to feel more...
