Need an Opening Scene? Sow Doubt.
In a post on Jane Friedman's blog, Susan DeFreitas offers suggestions for writing a compelling opening scene for your novel.
While common writing advice says...
Guilt: Not so Useless in Fiction
In an article for Writer's Digest, Veronica Gutierrez shares four tips for writing about guilt in fiction. Can guilt help you tell a good story?...
Writing Food You Can Taste
In most stories and novels, food is an after (or never) thought. We assume characters eat, but other than the occasional reference to meals,...
Can This Fictional Writer Help Hone Your Basic Writing Instincts?
Sometimes writers need to turn to unlikely sources of inspiration. In an article for Lit Hub, Blake Turck says we can learn a lot from...
Use Humor to Bring Balance to Tragedy
In an article for Writer's Digest, Libby Hubscher shares her advice for using humor to leaven heavy scenes and topics. "In the real world, laughter...
Put Your Characters Through Pathological Maneuvers
Expanding on his previous post on Writer Unboxed, David Corbett continues his exploration of character. Earlier, he suggested that moments of helplessness can reveal...
Research Should Be Your Pleasure
In a post on CrimeReads, W.M. Akers says that research is necessary for historical fiction, but should also be fun. "Done properly, it can...
Sorry, Maria – Sometimes the Beginning is the Worst Place to...
In the latest in Writer's Digest's series of articles on mistakes writers make, Michael Woodson says it's a mistake to start at the very...
Transforming the Unlikeable
Unlikeable characters create tension with your protagonist. In many cases, your hero herself might be the unlikeable one. (In our case, it's the writer...)...
Revealing Drama Through Dialogue
In a post on Writers Helping Writers, Becca Puglisi offers tips for creating tension through dialogue. "Tension is that gut-curdling, oh-crap feeling you get when...
