This article is by Anne Marie Gazzolo. Many authors borrow from fairy-tales, myths, and legends and adapt or transform them to suit their own stories. I recently read The History of The Hobbit for a class and was struck by how many elements from Celtic and other mythologies J. R. R. Tolkien wove into his … Read more
Thank you, internet, for making this job harder. Strong characters and worldbuilding are no longer enough. The well-timed spot of humor was once the mark of Shakespeare. But now fellow writers, all of us have to learn to be clever. Let’s start by reading a novel that’s funny. Do you accept your first reading quest? … Read more
This article is by Neil B. Tafani. A novel needs a strong ending in order to tell a good story. This doesn’t mean that you need to have a “happy” ending, or even an ending that gives total resolution. Your primary focus when writing an ending is to make it memorable and enjoyable to read. … Read more
You know, there was always something that really irked me about Star Wars. Through all of the battles, duels, and reconstructions of planetary annihilation devices, the audience is never directly told what the rebels are, erm, rebelling against. The galaxy is decimated, legends are born and snuffed out across the board with unimaginable death tolls, … Read more
In order to make your words come alive on the page it is important to understand how the reader’s mind works. If you understand how the mind processes text, and how it turns words and sentences into images and impressions, you have a tremendously powerful tool to use to your advantage. What Is Association? From … Read more
This article is by Alanna J. Jordan. As a fiction author, archetypes can be a powerful tool in your writing arsenal. Archetypal characters draw upon the human psyche, enabling you to write characters who are instantly recognizable. But as with any other tool, archetypes can be overused or badly bungled. Here is some advice on … Read more
I had a problem. Readers sometimes enjoyed my short stories, giving high praise for stories I wrote in a day. Unfortunately, the novels I lovingly crafted for a year or more failed to impress anyone. No matter how I experimented, I couldn’t write a compelling novel, and was getting frustrated over the continuous lack of … Read more
This article is by S.C. Sharman. Writing a book is not enough. You have to have an audience eager to buy the books that you write. One way to do this is by building your own author brand. Here are five good ways to make this happen. Tip 1: Use Word of Mouth At the … Read more
The best images and the strongest impressions we get from stories are those we create in our own minds. No matter how well I describe something, my reader’s impression will never be exactly the same as mine. As a writer, I’ve chosen to embrace this. Rather than sweating about making my descriptions as correct and … Read more
We hear a lot of popular advice on writing forums and in craft books. At the top of the list, along with “show, don’t tell” and “write what you know” is “make it worse.” While any of these bits of advice are great to explore, I am here today to talk specifically about making things … Read more