Archive:

The Writing Craft

Man walking across slack line across canyon.

How to Build Tension to Keep Readers Hooked

March 22, 2024

Your greatest challenge as a writer is to keep readers engaged. Your job is to keep them with you page after page to find out what happens. Inject tension into your work to enthrall readers. What is Tension in Writing? Tension is anything in your manuscript—fiction or nonfiction—that causes readers to anticipate.  Anticipate what? Literally […]

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How to Describe the Setting of a Story

March 15, 2024

One of the toughest nuts for you to crack as a novelist is where to start. Two-thirds of my more than 200 published books are novels, so I’ve faced this dilemma more than 140 times. Trust me, starting never gets easier, no matter how many times you’ve done it. But there are common errors to […]

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Surviving and Thriving As a Writer in the Age of AI

March 8, 2024

A Guest Blog by Jodie Hurst   The age of Artificial Intelligence is here, and you may be confused as to how you should feel about it. Should you feel happy that super-efficient tools can aid your writing?  Or should it alarm you that AI can produce in seconds what it takes you hours or […]

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Fiction Techniques for Nonfiction Writers

February 19, 2024

Fiction and nonfiction are separate genres, but though their labels imply otherwise, they are not wholly opposites. While the first is created from your imagination and the other pulls from real life, both require creativity and vivid expression to become compelling.  Ironically, the definitions of the two genres could almost be flip-flopped. Fiction works best […]

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How Long Does It Take to Write a Book?

February 9, 2024

Writing a book can take a lifetime. But realistically, how long should you expect yours to take?  If you’re trying to balance a full-time job, a family, or every other priority life throws in your path, where will you find the time—and how much time do you need? Your book should serve as a way […]

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