What’s the one goal every writer has for their novel? To hook the reader. Sure, there may be other goals. To entertain. To inspire. Some might…
Think about your favorite books for a moment. No doubt you can gush about the exciting story you couldn’t put down. But would it be possible…
Of all the famous first lines of fiction, there are few that ring as true as Tolstoy’s in Anna Karenina: “Happy families are all alike; every…
Building character into our characters is fun. As we imagine their physical traits and personality quirks, there are even deeper ways we can add substance to…
Historical romance showcases an interesting period, along with the requisite fun facts and tidbits, in an emotional and uplifting story about two people falling in love.…
Writing character emotions requires a delicate balance of showing and telling, action and exposition. Excessive emotional description will make a character seem too wrapped up in…
Last week I talked about how sometimes simple-sounding feedback from beta readers or editors may indicate a bigger issue with your manuscript, and I shared my…