Articles for Writers
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How to Write Three-Dimensional Characters
“The protagonist feels a little one-note.”
“The characters feel flat.”
Maybe you’ve heard it from a critique partner, or a beta reader, or you just can’t shake the feeling that your character doesn’t seem as real as some of your favorite protagonists. What gives?
Characters feel real when they act like real people: unpredictably.
Finished NaNoWriMo? Don’t Rush to Editing Yet!
Congrats on making it through NaNoWriMo!
Whether you’ve hit your 50,000-word goal or another personal writing goal, it’s a huge accomplishment. After reaching the coveted words, “The End,” it’s time to book an editor, right?
Wait!
Before you spend any money on editing, there are a few things to do first to make sure you aren’t wasting your time or paycheck.
Dialogue vs. Exposition in a Scene
Readers are now less tolerant of large blocks of text setting scenes or laying background for pages on end. But too much dialogue can make a reader feel disconnected from the fictional world. How do we strike the right balance?
By making the reader feel like an active participant in the story instead of an observer. They need to witness both what is said and what is left unsaid to feel the tension in the scene.
How to Use Scenes to Build Plot
Ever read a story where it was clear the character did something because that’s what the story (i.e. author) wanted them to? It’s annoying, and readers do notice.
The best stories feel like the character is real, making their own choices as they navigate the story.
So how do we make a fictional world feel real to a reader?
One word: Consequences.
Using Scenes to Establish Setting
Setting is critical in the first few lines so the reader is immediately oriented in the story and can begin to imagine the scene playing out. Without enough detail, readers cannot imagine the world that you — the author — can see so clearly in your head.
A scene needs to happen someplace, but if we use that location and the environment around the main character to work against their goals, stories can reach new depths...
Why Does Fiction Need Scenes?
Whether you’ve written the story in a flurry of a first draft, or you’re still planning the story you want to write, the quickest way to take your writing to the next level is to focus on developing strong scenes.
How to Create a Believable Fictional World
What’s the difference between a book readers enjoy and a book readers want to live in? Here’s how to use the five senses to create fictional worlds full of sensory detail—worlds that feel so real readers are convinced they exist.
Stories Are Conflict — Give Readers What They Want
Readers pick up a story not to read but to engage, to feel, and to live vicariously through someone else's experiences. Ever wonder how to make a reader feel an emotion? It's all about embracing levels of conflict…
Laws of Attraction in Fiction
Writing characters in love is not as easy as simply stating they are in love. Here’s how to show developing character relationships and all the ways characters in those burning and unforgettable relationships fall in love.
Easy Ways to Fix Dialogue
Written dialogue can be deceptive—although it may feel natural on the page, writing good dialogue is nothing like mimicking real speech. Here are seven ways to improve the dialogue in your manuscript to make your story easier to read, more fun for readers, and more likely to spread by word-of-mouth.
The Messy Middle of a Novel: It’s Not Just You
When you first start writing the words flow and you can see the magical end to the story. But somewhere in the middle things change: the story slows and it’s easy to feel stuck in a mire with no end in sight. Here’s how to stay focused and keep the messy middle of a novel from standing in your way.
Read Outside Your Genre
While authors need to know their specific genre inside and out, reading different genres can strengthen your writing in ways you didn’t expect. Here are some tips on writing craft that can be absorbed through various genres.
8 Ways to Trim Word Count
Have you been told your manuscript is too long? Here are eight realistic ways to trim word count to meet your goals.
You Need a Beta Reader
Beta readers are an important part of writing feedback, especially for new writers. Here’s how to find beta readers and use their feedback to take your writing to the next level.
How to Avoid a Boring Story
If you want to write a fast-paced and engaging novel, you can’t let the reader get bored. But constant action can be just as boring as no action at all. Here’s how to use reaction and down time to up the emotional ante and make your story impossible to put down.
First Impressions Matter: Readers Give You Less Time Than You Think
The first pages are a reader’s first impression of your writing, and those pages matter a lot more than you think. Here’s how to strengthen that first impression to hook readers into your work.
More White Space, Please
A densely packed page can slow a story down and turn off modern readers. Here’s how to use white space to pick up the story pace and make your book feel like a page-turner.