National Novel Writing Month — Let Your Novel Simmer and Marinate with Scrivener
Every year, we’re lucky to have great sponsors for our nonprofit events. Now that we’re closing in on the final stretch of November, you may [Read More]
Every year, we’re lucky to have great sponsors for our nonprofit events. Now that we’re closing in on the final stretch of November, you may [Read More]
On Thanksgiving, I celebrated 30 years since the sale of my first book. It’s a crazy milestone and made me consider this writing and publishing [Read More]
Trained by reading hundreds of submissions, editors and agents often make their read/not-read decision on the first page. In a customarily formatted book manuscript with [Read More]
The following is a list of 8 new literary journals. All of these journals have been around for less than six months. In my experience, [Read More]
Many writers dream of days they can devote entirely to their craft. But the reality is that working a day job in a field often [Read More]
We feel connected to place in a story when we see it through characters’ senses. Bring senses such as sight, hearing, touch, smell and even [Read More]
As the end of the year looms large, we writers should be thinking about strategic planning. I know—it sounds like work. Boring work. But, honestly, [Read More]
Theme is an often overlooked tool in a writer’s toolbox. Here’s another look at finding the greater meaning in your story. Several years ago [Read More]
Ruth Harris and I have both written about how there are no rigid rules for writing good fiction, only guidelines. Even guidelines don’t apply to [Read More]
A reader from Connecticut is finishing up her new novel this month, getting ready to send it out to agents. She sent me a good [Read More]
One of the great things about Scrivener is that it allows you to divide up your work into scene – or chapter-sized “chunks” (usually documents). [Read More]
Writing character profiles and brainstorming main characters’ arcs helps establish story direction. A good character arc template includes facts about your characters’ goals, high points [Read More]
This post discusses the three types of compounds in English: compound nouns, compound modifiers, and compound verbs. Compound Nouns Compound nouns come in three forms: [Read More]
It’s no secret that the time-tested method of using cliffhangers at the end of your chapters or scenes is a sure-fire way to make that [Read More]
Understanding how to create tension in a story is key to writing a gripping, ‘I’ll just read one more page before bed’ read. Here are [Read More]
My father had his own set of proverbs that he dispensed like wisdom from the mountaintop. Even though it’s been decades since I lived in [Read More]
One of the topics I’d heard other independent authors talk about a lot was auto-responders, but for years, I put off actually setting up one [Read More]
The soul of writing is specificity, yet all too often, we lean on general-purpose words instead of choosing the most precise ones. Most of our [Read More]
Writing a novel is a complicated equation involving a lot of variables and moving parts—not the least of which are the authors themselves. In fact, [Read More]
Style, in its broadest sense, is a specific way in which we create, perform, or do something. Style in literature is the way an author [Read More]
So you’d like your latest writing project to get moving faster. Great writers have felt the same. Don’t worry, it’s fixable. When the words stop, [Read More]
Copyright © 2024 | WordPress Theme by MH Themes