John Paul Schmidt is a former news journalist. Now he's a freelancer by day and bartender by night while he works on his novel.
Every writer falls into one of two categories: Pantsers or Plotters. You can be a little of both, but you’re always on one side of the…
One of the most common mistakes I see in new writers is choppy writing—the kind that makes readers have to do some stop-and-go reading. This is…
Sharing your work can be a vulnerable and stressful step in the writing process, but it’s an inevitable one if you plan on publishing. Workshops, teaming…
What is suspense at the end of the day? Merriam-Webster defines it as ‘a mental uncertainty’, and also as ‘a pleasant excitement as to a decision…
Not much can make your story seem more directed at grade-school children than the info dump. You’ve seen it before—you’ve probably done it before. It’s the…
Every good story needs a good protagonist. In fact, if you have a bad protagonist, do you still have a good story? Yeah, think about that…
Writing dialogue is already difficult enough. Make sure you’re not making these basic mistakes so you can focus on what really matters–the words your characters speak.…
“Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water.” –Kurt Vonnegut, 8 Basics of Creative Writing Every character in your story…
For much (all) of my life, I lamented being born in an era my mind did not belong in. Le sigh! I’m sure many of you…
Writers are self-doubting people. Many of us revolt against ourselves and strike fear into our own hearts. We are, after all, our own worst critics. The…