Fiction

Writing a compelling story, especially if you’re new at this, can be grueling.   Conflicting advice online can overwhelm you, making you want to quit before you’ve written a word. But you know more than you think. Stories saturate our lives. We talk, think, and communicate… [Continue reading below]

List a handful of your favorite novels and I’ll bet they have one thing in common: an unforgettable main character. From Captain Ahab to Atticus Finch and from Harry Potter to Katniss Everdeen, such memorable characters seem like long-lost friends. Inventing characters and infusing them… [Continue reading below]

You’ve settled on the idea for your novel. You’ve narrowed it to a sentence or two, and you’re ready to tackle what seems an insurmountable task—developing your lead character. If you’re an Outliner (one who outlines your novel first), it’s time for character development, an… [Continue reading below]

If you’re a Pantser (one who writes by the seat of your pants), outlining a novel can appear impossible. Trust me, I know. I’ve written nearly 200 books, had 21 New York Times bestsellers, and sold over 71 million copies—and guess what? I’m not an… [Continue reading below]

Naming your characters doesn’t sound that hard, does it?  Then why is it? Naming characters can be nearly as stressful as naming a newborn. You want something interesting and memorable, but not quirky or outrageous—unless you’re writing a comedy. You definitely don’t want to be… [Continue reading below]