Using Diaries and News Articles to Liven Up Your Prose? Don’t...
Many writers like to play with narrative form. Rather than rely on straight prose, they use diary entries, letters, text messages, or phone messages...
Historical Fiction Needs Equal Parts Fact and Fiction
Writing historical fiction requires you to strike the right balance between fact and fiction. In an article on Writer's Digest, Angela Petch offers her...
Structural Tools for Telling a Story Out of Order
In their latest podcast, the Writing Excuses hosts are joined by Peng Shepherd, who continues to lead their exploration of sub- and micro-structures. They...
What Makes a Great Opening Line?
In a lengthy article for Lit Hub, Allegra Hyde examines some great opening lines to find out what makes them work. "A great first...
Outside the Funny Pages, Kids Don’t Talk Like Adults
In a guest post on Jane Friedman's blog, Jessi Rita Hoffman offers advice for writing dialogue for children. Pro tip: they don't sound like...
Good Stories Need More than Plot
In a post on DIY MFA, Heather Campbell identifies five common mistakes in first drafts and recommends ways to avoid them. Those mistakes include:
1....
The Importance of Reading Against Your Biases
In an essay adapted from her book Read Dangerously, Azar Nafisi discusses the importance of reading works that challenge our perceptions and ways of...
Characters Who Don’t Change Prompt Characters Who Do
In a new post, Kristen Lamb says that characters who don't change can be a good influence on those who must.
Some characters never change....
Are You Showing Enough of Your Character’s Interior Life?
In a new blog post, Mary Carroll Moore offers advice on using interiority to your best advantage. "Interiority or 'internals' is a fancy way to...
To Plot or Pants Your Historical Novel?
In an article for Writer's Digest, Julia Brewer Daily says both plotting and pantsing help her maintain historical accuracy in her fiction and keep...
