If you’ve ever studied any form of visual art, such as photography, you know that light and shadow are equally important to making a well-balanced image.…
I’ve often picked up a book based on its setting. A great setting, for me, means a far flung or exciting place. It’s reason enough to…
When you’re bringing the story in your head to life, you’re going to want to consider all your options. In most circles, choosing the point of…
Everyone who’s ever played a childhood game of telephone knows that a story is only as good as the person telling it. Books function similarly. The…
Writers have it tough sometimes. We have unique roles: bring light to a world readers have never experienced. The tricky part? Revealing the story world in…
Among the more disheartening critiques you can receive of your writing, “the protagonist was flat” ranks close to the top. While characters don’t have to be…
Flashbacks are scenes from the past used to illuminate a character or storyline happening in the main plot of your book. Flashbacks are tricky because they…
Last week, I presented a webinar for an online science fiction and fantasy writers conference. My topic was character development, and I had fun exploring the…
Flashbacks can be a great tool for incorporating character backstory into your narrative. They can also disrupt the flow of your story and confuse your readers.…
If there are two pieces of advice most often distributed to new writers, they’re to start your story with a bang—in the middle of the action—to…