Fiction

You may have a great story but no idea where to start. Whether an Outliner or a Pantser, you need an idea of where you’re going. So….  Where do you begin?  What’s the middle supposed to look like?  How do you craft a resounding ending? You need a basic story structure, and the good news […]

Guest post by C.S. Lakin Effectively rendering emotion is challenging, but it’s a necessary skill if you’re a fiction writer. Readers want to be moved and never forget what reaches their hearts. If we writers don’t carefully, masterfully evoke emotion, we fail as storytellers. There are three main ways you can reveal emotions in your […]

If you jumped online to find writing prompts or story ideas, you’re in the right place. But what I’m about to tell you may surprise you. Novelists must think differently from other writers. Our aim is to create a world our readers can get lost in. But it’s easy to become overwhelmed before we even […]

Guest post by Bridget McNulty Tension is the secret sauce that ensures that “I’ll read just one more page before bed” feeling. Four ways to ensure your story has the right amount: 1. Create a conflict your characters care about Before you plan your story’s main conflicts, choose carefully. You want to create conflict that […]

Great page-turning stories live or die by their plots. “I took the dog to the park” doesn’t interest me. “You won’t believe what happened when I took the dog to the park” interests me. I want to know what happened, so I’ll stick with you as long as your story holds me. To keep me […]