The Benefits of Outlining: A Layered Approach

This article is by Steven M. Long. Everybody outlines. The second a writer imagines one scene following another, that writer is creating an outline, even if the outline is incomplete and only in their head. Referring to a novel writer as an “outliner” usually indicates someone who feels more comfortable with and sees the benefits … Read more

Is Plot or Character More Important?

This article is by K.M. Weiland. “Plot vs. character”—we hear it all the time, as if the two were mutually exclusive. Either your book is plot-driven or character-driven. Can’t possibly be both, right? And anytime we run afoul of an either/or conundrum, you gotta know people are going to start believing one or the other … Read more

4 Tips for Worldbuilding Success

This article is by Katie Cross. It was so hot that summer, I would have preferred vomiting barbed wire to walking outside. The air was muggy and thick with humidity so high that a permanent haze settled in like a fog. I didn’t see my thermostat go below 80 degrees for far too long, even … Read more

Bracketology for Story Plotting?

Tournament bracket

This article is written by Ken Hughes. What do sports brackets have to do with writing a story? Almost everything. A plot depends on conflict and contrast between its characters, and on building interest in them over time. A tournament’s system is about matching opponents together and tracking how that changes.  It’s one of the … Read more

Give Your Clichés a Makeover!

This article is by Sarah Hood. I know what you’re thinking: “Great, another article about clichés.” Yes, I know. Google “clichés in writing” and most of what comes up tells you to avoid them. No, wait! Don’t hit that back button yet. I’m not going to tell you to avoid clichés. Because here’s the deal. … Read more