Think of your favorite character from a book (or movie or TV show). List out the reasons why you like them so much–or why you find them compelling, even if they aren’t very likable. Sure, it probably has something to do with finding them relatable or funny or clever or having a tragic backstory. ButContinue reading “Use the Rule of Why to Find Your Character’s Deeper Motivation”
Category Archives: Writing Craft
How To Organize Feedback On Your Writing
In order to grow as a writer, it’s essential that you share your work and get feedback on it. If you feel scared about sharing your work, don’t worry. You’re not alone! Check out this post I wrote about that. But after you’ve done the scary thing and shared your writing and heard back fromContinue reading “How To Organize Feedback On Your Writing”
5 Lessons on Writing from Susan Dennard
Susan Dennard, author of the Witchlands series and the recently released book The Luminaries, is known for her spot-on writing craft tips, found on her website and through her newsletter. So when I got the chance to see her on the Luminaries tour, it was no surprise that she was full of great writing andContinue reading “5 Lessons on Writing from Susan Dennard”
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Four Tips for Developing Your Voice As A Writer
Something that I often hear in the writing world is that the one thing that can’t be taught is “voice” in writing. That although you can get better at almost every aspect of writing, voice is something that you just have to have. And for a long time, that terrified me. I was pretty positiveContinue reading “Four Tips for Developing Your Voice As A Writer”
Why You Need External Conflict In Your Story and How to Add It
If you’ve ever a read a book where you got halfway through and it felt like things were still getting set up, that might be a result of a lack of external tension. I recently got feedback from a beta reader for my WIP The Sound of Everything, and it turned out I had thisContinue reading “Why You Need External Conflict In Your Story and How to Add It”
Advice on Writing from Rebecca Roanhorse, award-winning fantasy writer
If you haven’t read anything by Rebecca Roanhorse, you are missing out. Roanhorse is a New York Times-bestselling author of sci-fi and fantasy, and her work has received Nebula, Hugo, and Locus Awards. Her book Black Sun is one of the best fantasy books I’ve read in a while, so when I had the chanceContinue reading “Advice on Writing from Rebecca Roanhorse, award-winning fantasy writer”
How To Find the Perfect Designer, Editor, and More: Self-Publishing Guide for Beginners (Part 4)
So, you’ve read the previous post, and you know what you’re going to pay for and what you’ll do yourself. But how do you find someone to hire? How do you make sure they’re any good?
How To Write Better Dialogue: 3 ways to practice and 2 common mistakes
Unlike a brilliant plot or a beautiful description that stand out when they’re perfection, dialogue is amazing when it feels so natural that we almost forget to admire it.
Write Bad First Drafts: Bad Writing Advice (Part Two)
There’s a common piece of writing advice: Write crappy first drafts.
The most important part of creating characters
But I would argue that one of the most (if not the most) important pieces of a good book is the characters.