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

Do you have a crowd of characters in your head, each with their own personality and description? Have you played out imaginary scenes for these or some other unknown characters? Have you developed some plot ideas that send them on an adventure, into the arms of a lover, or into a self-reflective journey?

Sounds like you have the start of a novel! 

Oh, wait. What’s that? You… keep reading

Write what you know. Have you been given that advice?  Most likely. And it can be great advice. If you’re a neurosurgeon and you’re writing hospital thrillers, you have an inside scoop on the details that can make a story rich.

If you live in New York or Paris or a tiny rural town in British Columbia and you set all your stories there, you have insight into the smells,… keep reading

Before we dive into how to find your author voice, we have to ask: What the heck even is an author voice?

Years ago, when I wrote my second novel, one of my friends said they would recognize my voice anywhere. At the time, I thought it was perhaps a bad thing. Did that mean my book was predictable? Too much like the first novel? After that, I went on a hunt to figure out what voice meant… keep reading

Have you ever read a story with a setting so rich, it felt almost as if the setting was a character itself?

Some authors seem to have an innate talent for creating vivid settings. The streets feel alive, the woods seem to sing with wildlife and native flora and fauna. In fantasy settings, the readers find themselves immersed in the magical world, wholly able to believe in the strange… keep reading