Preptober Week Three: World Building and Extras
So far, we have focused our preptober efforts on the dual arm of plot and character, but those are not the only two considerations while planning a story. This week is to prep all the remaining details that are pertinent to your story. Planning out the rest of this “stuff” includes world building, but itContinue reading “Preptober Week Three: World Building and Extras”
Preptober Week Two: Characters
Welcome to the second week of Preptober! This week, I’m focusing on developing my characters. Believable characters are unique and three-dimensional, but there’s a lot to consider. Each character has specific attributes, like appearance, personality, and a backstory, that make them relatable. A character’s motivations inform their actions and decisions, creating the narrative arc ofContinue reading “Preptober Week Two: Characters”
Preptober Week One: Concept and Outlining
Happy week 1 of Prep-tober! Throughout this month, I’ll have a theme for each week to help you prep for NaNoWrimo. Week 1 – Concept and Outlining Week 2 – Characters Week 3 – World Building and Extras Week 4 – Organization and Time Management If you are reading this and wondering what the heckContinue reading “Preptober Week One: Concept and Outlining”
Why Show vs. Tell is So Important: With Guest Author Melissa Frey
This month’s featured guest author is the lovely and talented, Melissa Frey. Not only has she indie released multiple books, with her latest release published last month, she is also a superior resource for writing craft and development. She hosts writing mastermind courses, and there is even one all about this very topic of “showContinue reading “Why Show vs. Tell is So Important: With Guest Author Melissa Frey”
Character Shorthand: Tips for Crafting Memorable Characters with Brevity
Writers are artists who paint images in the mind of a reader with little more than the written word. Powerful stuff. Though, our readers actually do a lot of the work. Readers have this little thing called imagination that takes our words and plays it like a movie in their head. They don’t need usContinue reading “Character Shorthand: Tips for Crafting Memorable Characters with Brevity”
Publishing in the Summer: with Guest Author Zara Hoffman
Summer might be winding down, but some of you might be wondering if this is a good time of year to publish their work in progress. The answer might vary depending on if you’re an indie versus a trad author. I’m excited to share this amazing guest post all about publishing during the summer, byContinue reading “Publishing in the Summer: with Guest Author Zara Hoffman”
Book Marketing like a Bad-Ass with Guest Author Cathrine Swift
Fresh off of releasing her debut novel, Let it Reign, Cathrine has done her homework in the world of book marketing and it has paid off, big time! I’m excited to have Cathrine featured on the blog to share some of her pearls of wisdom she had gathered when plan her marketing strategy for herContinue reading “Book Marketing like a Bad-Ass with Guest Author Cathrine Swift”
5 Ways to Use the Emotion Thesaurus
One of my favorite writing craft books/resources has got to be Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi’s The Emotion Thesaurus. It truly is a Writer’s Guide to Character Expression. Creating authentic and engaging emotions in your narrative can help evoke emotions in your reader, which will create a stronger connection to the story and a betterContinue reading “5 Ways to Use the Emotion Thesaurus”
All You Need to Know About Critique Partners – Q&A
Recently one of my critique partners (CP) and I completed full read-throughs of each other’s novels, and so I have the joy that are CPs on the mind. I’m very fortunate to have two close critique partners that are always there to read my work––including novels, novellas, query letters, and even drafts of articles orContinue reading “All You Need to Know About Critique Partners – Q&A”
Tips for Adding Humor Part 2: Types of Humor
A couple weeks ago I wrote up an article with plenty of insights about injecting humor into your narrative. One of those insights happened to be identifying types of humor that you find funny. Since there are a number of different types of humor, I decided to make your life easier and condense them intoContinue reading “Tips for Adding Humor Part 2: Types of Humor”
Tips and Ideas for Creating Holidays
Holidays are fun whether they are real or imagined. Fictional holidays tend to pop up often in science fiction and fantasy genres. The inclusion of holidays can round out details of world building, provided a point of connection between the reader and the story, and act as a plot device. As a festive fanatic andContinue reading “Tips and Ideas for Creating Holidays”
Tips for Adding Humor to Your Storytelling
I am not funny. Humor is subjective, so perhaps there’s someone out there that thinks I’m hilarious. Regardless of whether I’m funny or you’re funny, understanding how to write humor might be pivotal to our (commercial) writing success. This doesn’t mean you have to write comedy or comedic fiction. I wouldn’t even know where toContinue reading “Tips for Adding Humor to Your Storytelling”
So You Finished Your First Draft…Now What? With Guest Author Katrina N. Lewis
This month’s guest author shines a spotlight on the somewhat grey and ambiguous period between writing the first draft and publishing a novel. There are obviously tons of ways to navigate this mysterious, amorphic time as an author. Just as there are several avenues open to an author to publish, but this month’s guest authorContinue reading “So You Finished Your First Draft…Now What? With Guest Author Katrina N. Lewis”
5 Tips for Setting (Achievable) Writing Deadlines
Last year I posted an article that focused on how to keep yourself on track with your writing goals when nothing or no one is keeping you accountable. When I posted that article, I was in quarantine, furloughed from my job, and had a lot more free-time than I do presently. With a full-time job,Continue reading “5 Tips for Setting (Achievable) Writing Deadlines”
Literary Agents and Where to Find Them
If you’re pursuing the traditional route of publishing, then your world will slowly revolve around query letters and literary agents. Initially, I was going to compare finding an agent to dating, using the timeless analogy that it takes a number of bad dates (rejection letters) to land on the one that’s meant to be. ButContinue reading “Literary Agents and Where to Find Them”
Writing Action Scenes: With Guest Author Matt Romeo
When we hear the term ‘action scene’ we often think fight scenes, car chases, and explosions. But the truth is, action scenes can have all of the above, but it’s not a requirement. However, there are a few things that you will always want to consider and include when you sit down to write anContinue reading “Writing Action Scenes: With Guest Author Matt Romeo”
The Art of Writing Badly
If you’re hoping to up your word count, write a first draft faster, and improve your writing prowess, it behooves you to learn to write badly. I want to stress that writing badly does not mean you are a bad writer. Obviously, we want to write our stories the best way we can. WeContinue reading “The Art of Writing Badly”
10 Ways to Make Writing Query Letters a Piece of Cake
Alright, deep breaths. I tell myself as I sit down to write a query letter. Writing a manuscript? Easy! Seeking beta readers? No problem! Integrating feedback from said beta readers into said manuscript? No worries at all! Writing a query letter to submit to literary agents? You’ll find me hiding under the covers. Why queryContinue reading “10 Ways to Make Writing Query Letters a Piece of Cake”
Plot vs Character Driven Novels
How do you identify the driving force behind your book? When writing fiction, especially genre fiction (popular/commercial fiction), it’s important to have strength in both plot AND characters. Characters make a story memorable and give readers a way in to connect at some empathetic, human level (even if characters are non-human). Plot separates a compellingContinue reading “Plot vs Character Driven Novels”
It’s Okay to Make Mistakes
Some days we just need to hear those words. Lately I have been coining Newbie to Novelist’s catchphrase as “I’m making the mistakes so you don’t have to.” As much as I love to be a wealth of information about all sorts of writerly topics and information, I don’t know everything and I make aContinue reading “It’s Okay to Make Mistakes”
Finding Your Heart Draft: with Guest Author Emily Rooke
Based on the title of this article, you might be wondering… what the heck is a heart draft? Well, I will allow my guest author, Emily Rooke, to tell it. But before we dive into her insightful brilliance, I wanted to share my own words of encouragement. Writing a book, even if it’s just theContinue reading “Finding Your Heart Draft: with Guest Author Emily Rooke”
Book Review: The Wicked Deep
Rating: 3/5 Stars Shea Ernshaw’s The Wicked Deep fits nicely in the YA paranormal genre and fits nicely as a summer read, as it takes place at the start of summer in a small coastal town, or as a spooky read in the fall for Halloween. Synopsis Where, two centuries ago, three sisters were sentencedContinue reading “Book Review: The Wicked Deep”
Where to Self-Publish: with Guest Author Tenaya MKD
I am very excited to share this guest author post, by the lovely and talented Tenaya MKD. Fresh from releasing her debut novel, New Identity, Tenaya knows a thing or two about where an indie-author can self-publish their book. Once you make the decision to self-publish, the information overload can be overwhelming, I’m so excitedContinue reading “Where to Self-Publish: with Guest Author Tenaya MKD”
A Newbie’s Guide to Little Picture Edits
Last week I talked about “Big Picture” edits as a continuation of my Newbie’s guide to self editing a novel. So logically, I am going to zoom in a bit and talk about what I affectionately call the “Little Picture” edits. Recently I had a writer friend comment that editing is like a cupcake. NailingContinue reading “A Newbie’s Guide to Little Picture Edits”
A Newbie’s Guide to Big Picture Edits
In January, I released a guide for self-editing your novel. When it comes to editing, it’s not just one mountain to climb, but several––and some smaller foothills, maybe even some off-course deep-sea exploration, just for good measure. What I’m getting at is… self-editing is a journey. To ease you on this journey, I highly recommendContinue reading “A Newbie’s Guide to Big Picture Edits”
Tips for Writing Scenes that Steam & Sizzle
Romance is always a feature in my writing, because I love love in all shapes and sizes. This isn’t always physical romance, but let’s just say I’m trash for whenever things get spicy. To wrap up my romantic February, I’m talking all about love scenes. Believe it or not, writing a good love scene isn’tContinue reading “Tips for Writing Scenes that Steam & Sizzle”
Creating A Book Playlist: with Guest Author Mindy McKinley
All throughout February, I’m talking about love and romance, so I wanted to feature a Romance writer as this month’s guest author. Mindy McKinely debuted her first romance novel in 2020 and since then has rapid-fire released two sequels and a few steamy novellas to boot. I had the pleasure of reading an ARC (AdvanceContinue reading “Creating A Book Playlist: with Guest Author Mindy McKinley”
Newbie to Novelist’s Top 10 Favorite Romance Tropes
Happy Valentine’s Day, and as a special bonus (in addition to releasing my free novella today) I wanted to publish some extra blog content. Enjoy my countdown of favorite romance tropes, and let me know if you agree with my list. Before we start, you might be asking… what is a trope? Tropes are plot/themeContinue reading “Newbie to Novelist’s Top 10 Favorite Romance Tropes”
A Book Review: Red, White & Royal Blue
Rating: 5/5 stars & stripes While I’d like to write more book reviews and publish one a month, this particular review might be less of a review and more of a ranting gush about how much I enjoyed reading, and then immediately re-reading, this book. Since it’s the season of love (and I hope theContinue reading “A Book Review: Red, White & Royal Blue”
Romancing the Beat Overview: Featuring Disney’s Tangled
While writing the post: 5 Tips for Writing Romantic Subplots, my fifth tip was to utilize romantic story structure and I recommend checking out Romancing the Beat by Gwen Hayes (which also has a Scrivener template). But I wanted to include my own overview. Quick disclaimer: This overview is pretty true to Gwen Hayes’ beats,Continue reading “Romancing the Beat Overview: Featuring Disney’s Tangled”
5 Tips for Writing Romantic Subplots
I’m a sucker for a heart-thumping, palm-sweating romance. And regardless of what niche genre you write in, there’s often an acceptable place for a romantic subplot. Just as we love to plunge into quests and adventures, readers love to read about love because it opens a little window for the reader to feel and connectContinue reading “5 Tips for Writing Romantic Subplots”
Free, Downloadable Calendars for February 2021
Staying on top of your calendar is sweet, and so are these free wallpapers for either your desktop or smartphone. Each include a February 2021 calendar and a custom design.
A Newbie’s Guide to Self-Editing a Novel
This month, I wrote “the end” on the second book in The Uprising series. With beta-reader feedback returned for book 1, it’s time for me to dive back into editing. After I wrote the first book, I did a pretty quick job of my first editing pass. While I did cut 10,000 words, I stillContinue reading “A Newbie’s Guide to Self-Editing a Novel”
Creating A Book Bible: With Guest Author Megan Beth Davies
This week, I have guest author, Megan Beth Davies, to talk about one super helpful writing resource…a writing resource that’s so personalized to your story, it’s like you’ve created it yourself…because, well, you did. Megan is a fantasy writer like myself, which naturally comes with a ton of planning (and some organization required). From worldContinue reading “Creating A Book Bible: With Guest Author Megan Beth Davies”
10 Writing tips to Evoke Emotion
How to write prose that tugs at the reader’s heart strings When writing fiction, there’s a good chance that you’re hoping to get the reader to feel something: happy, sad, fearful, panicked, lustful (or, if you’re like me, all of the above). Personally, I get a weird twinge of satisfaction when someone tells me myContinue reading “10 Writing tips to Evoke Emotion”
Book Review: The Bear and The Nightingale
Score: 3.5/5 Recently, I read The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden for a book club. It’s a fantastical and imaginative fairytale retelling….which is definitely my cup of tea. Though, I might not have picked out this book for myself. Most of that probably has something to do with a summer reading assignment ofContinue reading “Book Review: The Bear and The Nightingale”
Free, Downloadable Calendars for January 2021
Cheers to the New Year!! With twelve new months ahead of us, I am excited to see what 2021 will bring. Stay organized with these themed, calendar wallpapers for either your smart phone or computer.
Writing A Series: With Guest Author Skye Horn
As we approach the New Year, many of us set ourselves up by establishing goals. On nearly every resolution list for the past few years, I’ve set a goal to write a book. But once you have written one book, you might realize it has “series potential” or you might decide off the bat thatContinue reading “Writing A Series: With Guest Author Skye Horn”
How to use Motivation-Reaction Units to Enhance Your Storytelling
I recently did a whole post about scene-sequel story structure. While the concept of a scene followed by its sequel is the large-scale structure (or the building blocks) of a story, Motivation-Reaction Units (or MRUs for short) are the minuscule pieces that create those blocks. The idea of Motivation-Reaction Units was first found inContinue reading “How to use Motivation-Reaction Units to Enhance Your Storytelling”
Beta Reading Guide: How to Get the Most from Beta Readers
Why is feedback so important? This question could be its own blog post… but receiving feedback is one of the best ways for writers to grow their writing prowess, improve their craft, and polish their stories. Sharing your work can be nerve wracking and may leave you feeling vulnerable, but like many things that seemContinue reading “Beta Reading Guide: How to Get the Most from Beta Readers”
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