Improve Your Writing
12 Tips for Improving Your Description
Think in terms of "telling details": details that let the reader see your characters while also revealing something about their minds.
The Question I Hate the Most
It’s the question I dislike the most from writers, and that I try to avoid answering—because it lays a terrible burden on me.
When Writers Err Too Heavily on the Side of Drama and Conflict
Much of writing advice boils down to: add more conflict. But don't forget how happy lives can involve compromise and complication as well.
Writing Suspenseful Fiction: Reveal Answers Slowly
Award-winning author Jane K. Cleland explains how to implement the slow reveal to add suspense to your writing.
How to Use a Plot Planner
A plot planner enables you to keep the larger picture of your story in full view as you concentrate on writing individual scenes.
Why Writers Should Consider the Habits of the Flâneur
The advantages of walking are well-known and long-heralded. Likewise delightful, the urban perambulatory habits of the flâneur. Less heralded perhaps are the practical creative benefits of stretching one’s legs with neither exercise nor aimlessless in mind.
Write Toward Your Unspecified Anxieties
Write about the things you can't forget, the things that keep you up at night.
How to Write a Great (and Not Schmaltzy) Love Scene
For a love scene to move readers, it must embody the principle of restraint—in dialogue, in description, and in the characters’ actions.
Writing Fiction: Does It Feel Indulgent?
In the literary fiction world, it's often taken as an article of faith that writing is an intrinsically important activity to be engaged in. Is it?
A Warning About Writing Novels That Ride the News Cycle
Thriller author Todd Moss discusses the pitfalls of using current events as the basis for a novel.
You Can’t Rush Your Development
A couple weeks ago, I advised young writers to have patience—with themselves, with the publishing process, and with their development.
How to Find and Work with Beta Readers to Improve Your Book
Editor and writing coach Kristen Kieffer discusses how to get the best out of a beta-reader experience.
Details Help Writers Overcome Their Fear
Memoirist Benjamin Vogt discusses how evoking sensory details in writing can banish a writer's fears.
How Writers Can Craft an Effective Setting
Setting is often an afterthought when writing a scene, but it can affect characterization, tension, pacing—and more. Bestselling author Mary Buckham shows how to create effective descriptions for any type of narrative.
What Does It Mean to Read Like a Writer?
Learn what it means to see and read the world in terms of narrative design.
The Secret to My Productivity, Or: Thoughts About Luxury and Privilege
I'm often asked: How can I be so productive? Or how does one balance creative work and other life demands? Here's the most truthful answer I have.
The Sussman Productivity Method
For every 45 minutes that you write, do 15 minutes of something else. But there's one catch.
The Big Reason Why Agents and Editors Often Stop Reading
Agent Paula Munier explains how to imbue your writing with narrative thrust to keep your readers turning the pages.
5 On: Heather Hale
Heather Hale discusses the top five mistakes screenwriters make, the usefulness of online script databases, and how to approach a first screenwriting contract.
The Fatal Flaw in Weak Descriptions
Author and editor Rachel Starr Thomson explains how to use descriptive detail to illuminate character and move plot forward.
Magazine Writing: How to Break In at the Very Top
Writer and editor Zachary Petit discusses breaking into the freelance market with big-name publications.
The Basics of Point of View for Fiction Writers
Writer Joseph Bates explains all the point-of-view options for your novel and how to choose the best point of view for your narrative.
So You Want to Write for Television?
Author and TV industry vet Greg White offers insight on how to write for television if you're a beginner.
Conquering the Myths of the Writing Life
Fiction writer Douglas W. Millikin offers an honest and insightful essay about the biggest myths writers face about their profession.
Crafting a Compelling Novel Concept
Larry Brooks discusses how to create a concept for your novel that will compel readers (and agents and publishers) to read more.
5 Reasons You’re Experiencing Writer’s Block
Editor and writing coach Susan Reynolds explains some of the common causes of writer's block and offers some techniques for beating it.
The Feel of Real: Researching a Novel
In today's guest post, author Maggie Kast (@tweenworlds) discusses the role research plays in the development and evolution of a historical novel.
Using Newbie Attorneys in Your Fiction
Attorney and author Karen A. Wyle offers insight into using new attorneys in your fiction.
Strengthening Your Creativity Muscles: Q&A with Bonnie Neubauer
In this interview, Bonnie Neubauer, author of The Write-Brain Workbook discusses her own creativity practices and goals, her favorite means of gathering writing prompts, and myths about creativity.
How to Balance Your (Writing) Life: A Guide for the Perplexed
Writers may desire advice on how to better balance their writing lives and be productive, but few prescriptives are one size fits all.
How to Effectively Handle Time Shifts in Your Story
Author Lisa Lenard-Cook explains when and how to use time shifts to heighten the emotional impact of your story.
Taking the Risk to Write Deeply About Your Family History
Poet and memoirist Benjamin Vogt discusses his own personal journey to learn his family's history.
The Fundamentals of Writing a Scene
Martha Alderson and Jordan Rosenfeld explain how to craft a compelling scene and when it's okay to use summary.
2 Stammer Verbs to Avoid in Your Fiction
Editor Jessi Rita Hoffman warns against the use of "stammer verbs," words that cause an unnecessary halt in the scene.
Learning to Practice Self-Care as Writers
How do you balance work on your art with work on yourself?
When Structure Sets You Free
Essayist and professor Nell Boeschenstein discusses how establishing structure can liberate your writing.
How Outlining Can Bring Out Voice
Editor Gabriela Lessa explains how to use outlining to generate a strong voice for your characters.
How to Find an Editor as a Self-Published Author
Indie author Teymour Shahabi explains how to find an editor for the draft of your self-published book and what to look for in a good editing relationship.
Using the Fallacy of Memory to Create Effective Memoir
Understand the 7 sins of memory, and how to use these sins to convey greater meaning and truth in your stories.
Spellbinding Sentences: 3 Qualities of Masterful Word Choice
Author Barbara Baig discusses word choice and how it affects tone, voice, and clarity.
Balancing Dialogue and Description in Your Story
Alex Limberg discusses attaining the perfect balance between dialogue and description in your fiction.
What It Means to Write Realistic Dialogue
If you want to write realistic dialogue, resist the temptation to follow a very logical "call and response" structure.
How Self-Published Authors Can Distribute to Libraries
Journalist and consultant Porter Anderson explains the new SELF-e program from Library Journal for getting self-published ebooks into American libraries.
The 4 Hidden Dangers of Writing Groups
Writing groups can cause fatal frustration, deep self-doubt, and sometimes years of wasted effort. Learn the most common dangers of writing groups, and find out how to improve your group to give you more of what you need—and less of what you don't.
Writing About Guns: 10 Errors to Avoid in Your Novel
You’ll find common myths and misconceptions about guns in thrillers, mysteries, and crime fiction. These tropes are easy to trip over, so avoiding them will help your credibility.
How to Sell Your Screenplay (for Absolute Beginners)
Wondering how to sell your screenplay? Learn the most common paths to production for a first-time screenwriter.
How to Find the Right Critique Group or Partner for You
Brooke McIntyre of Inked Voices explains what to look for in a critique group and how to find the best writing critique group for you.
To Outline or Not to Outline Your Novel
Blogger Tania Strauss of NY Book Editors discusses whether you should outline your novel before beginning to write.