Clear Character Design

Clear character design can be a challenge, but it's important to start with the basics and build up from there. There are two parts to character design, internal and external, or personality and aesthetic. Starting with internal design, you want to start with one or two key, defining traits. These are the character's most prominent...

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...

How To Write 10k Words In A Day

A while back I wrote 10k in a day, something I never thought I'd be able to do, but this is how I did it!Keep in mind that these tips can be used for writing in general, and you may not actually write 10k words in a day because that is a whole lot of...

Info-Dumping Correctly

Okay, first off I'm gonna start off my saying, info-dumps are my pet peeve. I hate having a huge block of text telling me about the history of something or why something is the way it is, but only because usually it's written in such a boring way! Info-dumps don't have to be bad!Sometimes people...

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...

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...

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...

Generating Story Ideas

I have far more story ideas than I know what to do with, and it took me a while to realize not every person is like this. So what do I do to constantly be coming up with and developing new ideas for books, series, screenplays, and short stories? 1: I'm Always Looking I go...