It’s that time of year to search for a thoughtful gift for the people in our lives. At least, this is a struggle if you are…
Hermione Granger, Chewbacca, Samwise Gamgee. This month we explored heroes, villains, and anti-heroes. Now it’s time to give the lesser-knowns their due diligence. These characters are…
While many writers love the excitement and freedom of writing a first draft, I prefer the editing phase. I also call it the rewriting phase to…
Lisbeth Salander, Deadpool, Gillian Flynn’s girls, Han Solo. Commonly known as rebels, realists, selfish, sneaky. Anti-heroes often don’t seek to uphold altruistic virtues. Multi-faceted anti-heroes abide…
Your opening chapter does more heavy lifting than any other pages in your book. Like it or not, Chapter One is a sales pitch. Whether you’re…
You’ve finished the first draft and now it needs polishing, but what to cut? The following checklist will set you on the path towards the glorious…
Some committed readers insist on finishing every book they start, but many have no trouble ditching stories that fail to draw them in. This feels like…
Fiction writers make things up. It’s our job, especially if we write science fiction, fantasy, or any type of speculative work. It’s also our job to…
Like all serious writing themes, the inclusion of violence in storytelling should serve a specific purpose. That purpose, in most cases, is to move the plot…
I have a friend whose debut novel has been on the NYT’s bestseller list for over a year. Her second book has found its place there…