Susan DeFreitas
In the last of a three-part series we examine the advantages and disadvantages of starting with theme, as opposed to ...
Writers focused on plot are often strong when it comes to world-building and “big ideas,” but there are inherent challenges ...
Fiction writers who start with character, as opposed to plot or theme, have certain advantages—and certain challenges ...
To keep readers engaged, build each scene toward a breaking point then reveal something new about the characters, their world, ...
Don’t feel like you have to go it alone—others are on the same journey, ready to offer encouragement and applaud ...
Many dream of publishing a book, but actually sitting down to write one seems hard. Preparation and limiting your choices ...
Studies show that making meaningful progress toward big goals is best served by focusing on the small steps that will ...
The science suggests that repetition can make a new practice reach the “second nature” part of your brain sooner, creating ...
Switching POVs within the same scene should only be tackled by experienced fiction writers, and only when it reveals something ...
Tips for avoiding stereotypes and tokenism, and presenting more interesting, complex, three-dimensional queer characters ...
Imbuing a character’s story with your own life experience—the good, bad, ugly and transformational—unleashes your book’s full emotional power ...
Before spending time on a story that doesn’t work, ensure you’ve addressed the critical questions of character, plot, goals and ...
A lot of the people who genuinely want to write a book never do so, because they never find a ...
Employing the science of captivating rewards is one way to keep yourself excited about and engaged with a big writing ...
To create the alchemical magic of emotion in your fiction, you need to approach the challenge from more than one ...
Character arc—a protagonist’s internal journey—is less obvious than the events of the plot, but it’s what makes a story meaningful ...
When placed intentionally, crafted well, and set up via emotional context and backstory, scene might be the writer’s most powerful ...
Science says these three techniques can draw your readers in, keep them engaged, and provide them with a compelling experience ...
In many ways, it’s never been harder to get a traditional book deal. At the same time, there have never ...
Factual details can be great fuel for your writing, but it’s crucial to recognize when adherence to them is getting ...
To truly put your reader in the emotional position of your POV character, focus on conveying body language and internal ...
Writing can be a lonely process, and it’s easy to feel stuck. Editors and coaches can help identify the common ...
According to neuroscience, scenes make the reader feel as if they are actually in the world of the story. And ...
In times of sickness, cultural upheaval, and real existential threats, perhaps stories matter more than ever ...
To make readers care, you generally need to get three things on your novel’s opening pages before the inciting incident ...
Struggling with the plot of your current work-in-progress? Maybe one of these tried and true solutions will do the trick ...
There’s only one thing that any novel must do if it’s going to succeed, and that’s arouse the reader’s curiosity ...
When novelists struggle to pitch their work, it may have more to do with the book itself than the query ...
In general, we don’t turn to fiction for stories about perfect people. What really makes us care is understanding another’s ...
Writing takes grit and so does publishing, but your odds are better if you understand what you’re up against. In ...
When sociopolitical discourse seems entrenched, good fiction can dig deeper with honest curiosity about all facets of the human experience ...
It takes grit to seek and implement qualified feedback, and to keep finding ways to improve a manuscript even after ...
What’s the difference between a story and a narrative that merely relates a series of events? The protagonist’s internal struggle ...
Stories with a real sense of meaning don’t merely stand out in the slush pile—they’re the types of stories that ...
Character arc isn’t created from a patchwork of different issues. It’s one clear thread that runs the whole length of ...
Publication is elusive and in many ways out of your hands, but feeling seen is something that writers can offer ...
To gauge your manuscript’s pitch-readiness, turn a critical eye to the query letter, synopsis, and first fifty pages ...
A book is often the product of teamwork. The ability to revise—to accept feedback and apply it with diligence and ...
A story intro that shows internal trouble, signaling the beginning of a character arc, makes agents and editors sit up ...
If you recognize the following characteristics in the critiques of your work, it may not just be inept—it may, in ...
In some ways, the idea behind neurohacks is simple: Fake it till you make it. Or, fake it until it ...
There’s a good chance that getting these essential elements right are among the biggest challenges you’ll face with your novel ...
When your writing hits a wall the solution is often to stop for a moment, take stock, and look deeper ...