Genre is a Distinction Without a Distinction
What's in a genre? Are Fahrenheit 451 and Slaughterhouse 5 science fiction novels, because they involve a dystopian future and time travel, respectively? Or...
How to Crack into a Character’s Head
Sometimes writers are lucky enough to have a character (or three) arrive fully formed in our heads. We know their wants and desires, their...
The Joys of Big Casts
Writers are often told not to feature too many characters in their novels. You'll find it hard to keep track of them all. Readers...
Watch Out for Unnecessary Redundant Words
In a post on Killzone, writer and writing coach James Scott Bell says writers should be wary of "gilding the lily" - over-explaining or...
Bring Your M.I.C.E. Together for a Satisfying Story
In the latest edition of their podcast, the Writing Excuses hosts have their final discussion about the M.I.C.E. (Milieu, Inquiry, Character, and Event) elements...
Six Great Ways to Open Your Story
As writers, we obsess over introductions. Introducing our characters, their goals and conflicts, our setting and story world. But one element many writers fail...
Preach! (Without Getting Preachy)
If you're feeling like the world has been veering from one crisis to another for the last 2 years, you're not alone. Big topics...
Your Characters’ Relationship with Money is Important, Too
A character's relationship with money is one of the most subtle but important traits you can develop, yet it's often the most poorly written. Many...
Don’t Make This Mistake in Your Dialogue
There's nothing like cracking dialogue to keep readers enthralled by your story and nothing will throw them out as quickly as crappy dialogue. Clumsy,...
Write the Tale That Scares You
While a lot of writing advice focuses on crafting page-turners and bestsellers, sometimes we need to be reminded to plumb the boundless depths of...
