Articles for Writers
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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.
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.
Step Away from Your Desk
Burnout is real. Here’s how taking a break from your writing can keep you from giving up altogether.
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.
A Writing Trick for Finding Flow
Worried about writer’s block? Set good habits now to reduce the chances of resistance. Get your words to pour onto the page by using productivity tools to achieve a state of flow.
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.
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.
Write When You Don’t Want to
Sometimes you just don’t feel like writing, but that might be when you get the most out of honing your craft. Writer’s block isn’t the end—Here are some ways to break through the resistance that every writer encounters.
Writing Feedback: You Need It
Writing may be a solitary act, but if you want to improve you need feedback. Here are the different types of feedback and where to find them.