You’ve determined which characters should have some sort of character arc, and it’s time to start writing. But wait. What if you aren’t sure what types of arc each character should have? What if you don’t know yet how your characters are going to change throughout the story? 

That’s okay. 

Here are a few simple ways to determine how, why, and where you want your… keep reading

Characters are arguably the most important part of any work of fiction. A good character has depth—they live and breathe on the page. I’ve long said that I’ll forgive almost any plot hole as long as I’m invested in a character. Your reader becomes invested in your character when they want to know what’s going to happen to them, when they care if your character succeeds. 

Reader… keep reading

You’ve found a writing partner and you’re ready to start a collaborative project. Congratulations! This could be a delightful blending of creative talents. If you’re lucky, all the pieces will fall into place and the next few weeks, months, or years will bring ongoing delight. We want that for you, we really do. But human relationships are complicated, so if you’re not willing to leave your… keep reading

If you’ve read about the benefits of collaborative writing and you’re ready to get started, the first thing you need to do is find a writing partner. This is the most crucial part of the process because if you choose a person who isn’t compatible with your style, your commitment level, or your vision, the partnership will be more work than joy.

Ensuring your find the right partner for a… keep reading

You may have heard about some dynamic duos writing books together. Stephen King and Peter Straub, Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone, Will Ferguson and Ian Ferguson. Collaborative writing can be an excellent way to merge creative minds and bring new excitement to the writing process.

Why would you consider writing with a partner? After all, you’re full of ideas and your words are precious… keep reading

As writers, we write because it's what we love to do. We feel passion and excitement when we think about the stories we want to put on paper, the creation of characters, building worlds, crafting perfectly planned plot points. And it’s true; most of us can speak easily about how much we love (or feel compelled) to write.

However, no matter the enjoyment we feel or the passion we have for… keep reading

Have you thought about creating writing goals to help keep your writing on track?

Maybe you have story ideas and some characters and settings for your novel but you want accountability to make sure you take action. Maybe you just need to set a single goal to write a certain number of words each day or put aside scheduled time to stay focused.

Writing goals don’t have to be formal… keep reading

In Narrative Voice: Point of View and Tenses, we looked at the difference between various points of view; now we'll consider how to put that information to good use. The question is: How do you, the author, know what point of view is best for you and your story? 

Choosing your story's point of view may be the most crucial decision you make when crafting your novel. Point of view… keep reading

In my last post, we established a basic definition of a scene — specifically that each scene has a beginning, a middle, and an end. Next, we'll look at several key elements that every well-crafted scene in a novel should contain. These elements determine how effectively the scene will engage readers and advance the narrative.

When writing fiction, try ensure each scene contains the… keep reading

One of my biggest struggles as an emerging writer was understanding the concept of a scene and how it differed from the overall events of the book. After all, if I plotted the beats* in my novel, wouldn’t each scene naturally fall into place? 

Short answer: No.

If you rely only on your outline to establish the overall arc of your story, you’ll end up with a lot of transition… keep reading