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...
Your Story World Can Benefit From Small, Unlikely Connections
Otters aren't merely nature's adorable sea puppies; they also might be helping to fight climate change, according to an article from the BBC. "Sea...
Here’s Your Permission to Take a Break
Productivity goals. Word count challenges. NaNoWriMo. Five books a year. Write one, submit one. As a writer, you'll be forgiven if you feel like...
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...
Using Fear as a Weapon and a Hill to Conquer
Fear: a vital element for thriller and horror fiction, but also an emotion commonly found in stories of all types. Mastering the expression of...
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...
“The Writer You Are is Enough.”
In an interview with Lit Hub, Ruth Ozeki (A Book of Form and Emptiness) shares some of the best advice she's received about the...
Truman Capote: Voice is a Process of Self-Discovery
Truman Capote embodied the concept of "extra" before it was a thing. While we might have found his company a bit much, there's no...
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...
