In the first imaginings of our stories, we often have an end goal in mind. Character X is put into situation Y and comes out changed (whether that’s for better or for worse depends on whether it’s a positive or negative character arc). Our story would be rather short if the goal you set forContinue reading “Add Tension and Build Suspense with Try/Fail Cycles”
Tag Archives: Writing guide
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”
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”
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”
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”
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”
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”
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”
Killing Your Darlings
In the spirit of October, I wanted to discuss something that might be a little bit scary. And what’s scarier than murder? Killing your darlings sounds harsh, and it can hurt! Essentially, you are taking something you like in your story (whether a character, scene, concept, etc.) and removing it for the greater good. YouContinue reading “Killing Your Darlings”
Newbie to Novelist 