Improve Your Writing

No matter what language our characters are speaking, writers should strive to express dialogue and inner thoughts in a naturalistic way.

With these four elements you’ll be able to create a more compelling protagonist and, as a result, a more interesting story.

Worried you’re not enough of an expert to write your book? That’s OK. You don’t need to be the annoying expert who knows it all. There’s another—far more effective—approach you can take when talking to readers.

Authors should consider using AI for historical research—not as a replacement for primary sources, but as just another useful tool.

According to neuroscience, scenes make the reader feel as if they are actually in the world of the story. And that makes scene the most memorable way to share information with the reader.

If your writing project has hit a wall, consider whether it really wants to be a different form than the one you’re trying to shape it into.

In this nexus of fact and fiction, writers can mine, select and transform their real life journeys, turning points and discoveries into story.

Building up courage to own your identity as a writer starts when you realize you need to ask someone for an objective opinion on your work.

Asking yourself the right questions about why, when, how, and how much your characters speak will help you craft more powerful dialogue.

One of the hard parts of working on a book is that day-to-day progress isn’t readily visible. Give yourself credit for all the small achievements.

Finished a first draft and unsure where to go next? Here’s a 5-point checklist of what the second draft revision process should accomplish.

With a regular five-minute meditation you’ll become a master of focus, able to dismiss distractions before they even fully form as thoughts.

The recently published LISTEN, WORLD! is a page turning biography of Elsie Robinson, the most read woman journalist of the twentieth century.

When we lean into stigmatized topics, we invite readers to wrestle with the same complexities we’re examining in ourselves.

Writers of both genres have to make decisions that somehow mold real people and events into a story with a shape, an arc, and meaning.

Even lesser-known authors can experience legal issues if they don’t perform their due diligence while writing and revising their books.

A Choctaw author offers tips on researching and connecting with First Americans in order to write respectfully and without stereotypes.

Consider the benefits and limitations of each POV, along with the feel each might lend to your story and how well it fits the tone, tenor, and genre.

Bridging the gap between research and personal experience can become a book’s greatest strength—but it might require Herculean effort.

Having a gut-punch reaction to being edited is part of the cost of doing business for writers. Here’s advice on how to survive the process.

To truly put your reader in the emotional position of your POV character, focus on conveying body language and internal narration.

Acknowledgment pages allow us to peer into authors’ lives, and reveal the fascinating web of the publishing world.

Memoirists can take steps throughout the writing and publishing process to minimize fallout and family strife.

A book map—a visual representation of your book’s structure—will help you maintain momentum and ensure a smooth journey for your reader.

While there are no fixed conventions writers need to adhere to, there is nonetheless much to think about and be aware of.