Want Jerry as Your Mentor? Learn More Stories without conflict, where the main character faces zero opposition, fail because they bore readers. In real life, harmony and agreement are worthy goals that produce a harmonious existence. But such is no recipe for stories that captivate readers. Readers love conflict. It’s the engine of compelling […]
Read MoreWant Jerry as Your Mentor? Learn More If you’re a Pantser (one who writes by the seat of your pants), you’re not interested in outlining a novel. Trust me, I’m a Pantser myself. I’ve written nearly 200 books, two-thirds of those novels — and guess what? I don’t outline. Oh, I’m not saying I […]
Read MoreGuest post by Tami Nantz There’s no way around it: If you want to write a story that pulls in readers, you must include compelling characters. They need to feel: Believable Mysterious Relatable But that’s difficult to pull off—one reason most stories are unpublishable. Maybe you’re feeling this tension right now. Maybe you’ve created a […]
Read MoreGuest blog by Vanessa Tym Mary Shelley didn’t intend to invent a new book genre when she wrote Frankenstein in 1822 but now, over 200 years later, every library and bookstore has a science fiction section. Since the inception of categorizing literature, dating back to ancient Greece, we’ve been updating, expanding, and rethinking what genre […]
Read MoreWant Jerry as Your Mentor? Learn More 1. Displaying a valued trait such as loyalty, love, or courage. Especially important if the protagonist soon makes a bad choice. It’s far easier to create empathy for a character right away than to erase negativity. So before he makes any negative choice, show your protagonist help […]
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