Character Introductions

Don't be tempted to take the introduction of your characters lightly, because their first moments in the story are incredibly important. Those first moments with a character can and should be used to 'set the tone' for that character. Their first scene should be an introduction of their personality, a short peak at who they...

Word Choice and Word Count – Editing 101

One of the last steps to finishing your novel is specifically editing your novel to make it sound good. I've gone through the first part of making your novel sound good here, but the second part to making your novel sound good is your word choice! As painstaking as it may be, this will make...

NaNo Help: Plot

Characters may be the most important thing in writing (at least in my opinion), but plot is literally what stories are about. Plot is the backbone of a story, and without a plot you don't really have much. Plot is what pushes your characters forward, its what keeps the story moving, and gives it purpose....

NaNoWriMo 101

It's October now, which means November is coming up fast, and with it, NaNoWriMo!Over the coming weeks, I'll be writing a series of blog posts to help you with NaNoWriMo, should you choose to participate. But today, the basics. What Is NaNoWriMo? First off, what the heck is NaNoWriMo? Honestly, it a good question, because...

Preptober!!

Today is the first day of October, and for those of us who are doing NaNoWriMo, that means the start of Preptober! You may be wondering what Preptober is, because you've never heard of it before. I hadn't heard of it until last year either. Preptober is the month before NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month,...

Outlining: Why, How, and My Method

There are three different types of writers, the plotters, the plansters, and the pantsers. Each one writes theirs stories in a different way. Plotters plot out their story before they start writing, so they have a clear path they can take when working through their novel. Pantsers have no plan, they write by the seat...

Trusting Your Creative Muse And When To Get Feedback

I see it all the time. People thinking their pacing is too fast, or too slow, but not trusting themselves on this feeling. Or asking other what they should do with a character because they want to do this one thing but they're not sure if it's the right move. But here's the thing. It's...

My Drafting Process: How I Write

I've been writing for over three years now, novel writing that is, and I've learned a thing or two about what works for me, and what I really shouldn't try to do. So today, I'll be going over my drafting process! How I go from inkling to full blown, publishing quality work.Related: Six Mistakes I...

Character Hooks – How To And Why You Need A Great One

At first glance, writing a great character intro may not seem like the most important thing, not when there are so many other things you could be focusing on, but really, it is. A good character intro is so important, it can directly affect the success of your story, or how memorable it is. You...

Make Me Care – Crafting A Story Where Reader’s Care

A story isn't good if the reader can't relate to the characters and isn't given a reason to care. No matter how good your plot, no matter how amazing your world, the reader will not care if you don't give them a reason to love your characters.There are really two steps to this, and you...