Over the last five years, I’ve had the good fortune and privilege to feature storytelling advice from many bestselling authors, as well as editors and agents. Here’s a round-up of the best and most popular advice on writing craft and technique I’ve featured since 2011.
Developing Strong Story Concepts
- The Big Reason Why Agents and Editors Often Stop Reading by Paula Munier
- How to Attract a Readership Based on Concept Alone by Matt Bird
- Craft a Compelling Novel Concept by Larry Brooks
- How to Build a Compelling Novel Concept—Something With a Kicker by C.S. Lakin
- How to Tell If Your Story Idea Is Mediocre—and How to Improve It by Laurie Scheer
Character Development
- Internal Dialogue: The Greatest Tool for Gaining Reader Confidence by Elizabeth Sims
- A Fatal Flaw in Weak Descriptions by Rachel Starr Thomson
Plot and Structure
- How to Tell If Back Story Is Sabotaging Your Novel by Roz Morris
- How to Effectively Handle Time Shifts in Your Story by Lisa Lenard-Cook
- Building a Believable Chain of Events in Your Novel by Steven James
- Writing Suspenseful Fiction: Reveal Answers Slowly by Jane K. Cleland
- 4 Big Pitfalls in Story Openings by K.M. Weiland
Point of View
- The Basics of Point of View for Fiction Writers by Joseph Bates
- Using Multiple Points of View: When and How Is It Most Effective? by Jordan Rosenfeld
Scene Building
- The Fundamentals of Writing a Scene by Jordan Rosenfeld and Martha Alderson
- How to Write a Great (and Not Schmaltzy) Love Scene by Jessi Rita Hoffman
Setting
- How Writers Can Craft an Effective Setting by Mary Buckham
What are your favorite writing craft & technique articles? Share in the comments.
Jane Friedman has spent her entire career working in the publishing industry, with a focus on business reporting and author education. Established in 2015, her newsletter The Bottom Line provides nuanced market intelligence to thousands of authors and industry professionals; in 2023, she was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World.
Jane’s expertise regularly features in major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, NPR, The Today Show, Wired, The Guardian, Fox News, and BBC. Her book, The Business of Being a Writer, Second Edition (The University of Chicago Press), is used as a classroom text by many writing and publishing degree programs. She reaches thousands through speaking engagements and workshops at diverse venues worldwide, including NYU’s Advanced Publishing Institute, Frankfurt Book Fair, and numerous MFA programs.
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Jane, I just saw this!! Honored to be in such estimable company! Hoping you’re having a great weekend.
Thanks for such a timely roundup. I’ve got a rough draft from NaNoWriMo in need of major reworking. But I love the self-editing process most of all. It’s much easier than looking at the blank page. These articles will be quite helpful.
Marvelous compilation, JF. Thank you for curating this list.
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Not sure that my comment went through, but I would like to use this excellent post in the next issue of Writer Advice, http://www.writeradvice.com. Of course I will give credit to you and your website. =) Okay?
If you’d like to share the links, not a problem. The posts themselves remain the property of the authors who wrote them.