How to Plan Your Story in Six Weeks
A guest post by Jennifer Blanchard When I first learned about story structure and story planning, I was inspired to no end. I knew I’d found the missing link, the information I was lacking that would now help me write stories worth publishing. The idea of planning a story before you write it is total […]
Oops! Your Exposition is Showing
A guest post by Jessi Rita Hoffman Does your dialog writing sound natural or off-kilter? Does it read like real people talk, or like grade school children stumbling over their parts in a play? If you have patches of dialog in your novel that just don’t ring true, it may be because your exposition is […]
The Unspoken Pinch Point: Your Climax
A guest post by David Villalva The climax of your novel should leave readers with some combination of emotional and intellectual satisfaction, as well as any intended sense of unease – often creepy. Or if it’s a part of a series, a compelling bridge into the next installment. Either way, you want your final act to resonate, to […]
An Interview with C.S. Lakin
Author of “The 12 Key Pillars of Novel Construction,” and other craft books and novels. C.S. Lakin and I have a lot in common. We are both novelists who were so inspired by the experience of writing fiction that we decided to write about that – about the craft of doing so – as […]
Story Structure, Take One – A Guest Post by Robert Arrington
One writer’s dance with the principles of structure, and an honest self-analysis of the result. Well, it’s been a wild 18 months of effort for me, but I have finally succeeded in putting my first novel, The Wonderland Effect, to bed, and it is out there attempting to make its way in the world. […]
The Three Stages of the Novel-Writing Journey
One writer’s journey from dream to publication, with all the lessons and setbacks and turnarounds that dot the broken road we travel. A guest post by Jennifer Blanchard Let me guess, you dream of publishing a novel; of your book reaching bestseller status and having raving fans. You dream of being able to […]
Let’s Talk About Dialogue
A guest post by Art Holcomb. Here is a truth about human beings . . . Before there was writing, there was talking. Dialogue is the most trusted and most human aspect of story. Sure, we love the action and the conflict, but what we seek in a story in order to make it […]
You Can Master Classic Story Structure… A Guest Post by Jerry B. Jenkins
Yes, THAT Jerry B. Jenkins. Author of 21 NY Times bestsellers. Over 70 million copies sold. Co-Author of the iconic Left Behind series. This is as high on the A-list as it gets. When a guy like Jerry B. Jenkins talks, we should sit up straight and listen. Take notes. Memorize. This post was written […]
Confessions of a Learning Curve Climber
A guest post by Stephanie Raffelock… about a “steaming mass of poop.” Larry Brooks made me cry. An ego bruising, embarrassing cry. He did it by asking a simple question: What is the dramatic goal of your hero? I answered every question he put forth in that scary, unflinching Questionnaire he uses in his […]
The Randy Ingermanson Interview
The Co-Author of Writing Fiction For Dummies Waxes Wise on Craft, Process and Survival in a Changing Marketplace Odds are you’re aware of Randy Ingermanson’s body of work. His #1 bestselling book. One of the most successful writing e-Zines… ever. The Snowflake Method. His Advanced Fiction Writing Website. An annual slate of powerful writing workshops. […]