Writing Tips

Developmental Editing is tackled on a completed draft of your book. It is the big picture assessment that will let you, the writer, know: You can find out how developmental editing differs from other levels of editing (copy editing/proofreading etc.) in this downloadable guide. Investing in a professional for this review is ideal, because it’s… The post How to Developmentally Edit Your Book, Yourself appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

By Janice Hardy It doesn’t matter how you hook your reader, as long as you hook them. “You need a strong hook” is advice you hear a lot in writing, and it’s good advice. A strong hook pulls readers into the story and makes them want to read on. A hook is something that captures reader attention and piques interest in the novel. It can also be the gotcha or twist that makes the novel compelling and fresh, intriguing readers even further. It’s the “ooooh” factor that probably got you excited about the idea in the first place. It might be a plot point, a character goal, or a conflict. It could even be the theme. In harsh terms, the hook is why a reader (or agent) should care about your book and not pick up someone else’s. Readers choose a novel because one book will stand out and sound more appealing than another—one […]

Did you know I cut my teeth writing picture books? Well, technically, my first attempt was a chapter book. I didn’t bother doing any research; as a first grade teacher, I’d read hundreds of them to my students, so how hard could it be? Hard enough that I soon switched to picture books, because I’d… The post 4 Tips for Successfully Writing Picture Books appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

[Editing here to note that the HWA has removed this board member as of this afternoon. I’ll post the full text of that in the comments below.] Today I, and every other HWA member, received the HWA newsletter in our inboxes. In that newsletter was an essay (“essay”) of pro-AI propaganda that made a number

(And by “the demons,” I mean, my excellent merch designer, Jordan Shiveley.) So! The Calamities tour — henceforth known as the BEST FIENDS FOREVER tour — is gonna start kicking into gear in a couple weeks, with me hitting: Philly, NYC, Doylestown (for Dark Ink, baby), Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago-area, Milwaukee, Madison, Minneapolis, Denver, St.

A surprising number of first novels land on my desk as an editor that are written in omniscient point of view. I say surprising because I find it by far the most complicated POV to get right—and it has largely fallen out of favor. Contemporary readers tend to crave a more direct and immersive experience… The post Omniscient POV: Pitfalls and Best Practices appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

I shan’t dally in giving the aforementioned good news: hey, The Staircase in the Woods earned out its advance! This is, as noted, good news. Very good news, honestly. The writers who are reading this right now probably understand this good news implicitly, somewhere deep in the marrow of their bones — but casual readers

By Janice Hardy Novels don’t always have a happy hero at the core—but that doesn’t make the character any less “likable.” It’s ironic that there are so many terms in writing that aren’t clear exactly what they mean, or have multiple definitions or uses. “Likable” is one such term. All the advice says we want a likable protagonist readers can root for, someone they’ll want to hang out with for four hundred pages, and someone readers will connect with. But likable isn’t really the issue, and the word can be problematic. Back in 2013, I received a question from a writer struggling to make her depressed character “likable.” She also suffered from depression, and was worried readers wouldn’t want to live in the head of a depressed character. It wasn’t something “emotionally healthy folks are going to want to spend time with.” […]

If there’s one thing we all know, it’s that life is stressful. Each day, we’re bombarded with obstacles, challenges, and upsets. We navigate what we can, go to bed, and do it all again the next day. Do we like stress? No. But adversity builds resiliency. Problem-solving under pressure means we push onward, try new… The post Strengthen Your Story by Throwing Rocks at Your Characters appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

I really fucking hate AI right now. I really fucking hated AI yesterday and the day before, too, though I think the hate is growing faster and hotter, like a sun about to explode and consume the galaxy it brightens and warms. I hate AI because it steals our books, and then then it pukes

Have you ever read a story where a phobia is a plot device for why a character can’t do something (say, travel by boat), or conveys comedic irony (a building architect terrified of elevators)? I’m guessing you have. Like many conditions involving mental health, phobias aren’t always portrayed correctly. When someone has a phobia, it… The post Last Chance to Grab the Phobias & Triggers Mini Guide appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

A few folks asked if they could see the creepy-cool-sorta-almost-cute demon stickers by the ever-fabulous Natalie Metzger — So click here to check ’em out. You get one of those, randomly, from the pile, if you pre-order from Doylestown Bookshop by August 2nd. (You also get a unique-to-you personalization identifying your DEMONIC PARENTAGE. So that’s

Uncanny Magazine is an award-winning online science fiction and fantasy magazine, and every issue is packed with incredible stories, poems, essays, podcasts…and interviews. We need your help to fund another year! Check out our Uncanny Magazine Year 13: The Space Unicorn Believes in YOU! Kickstarter for subscriptions and cool backer rewards, and help us spread

Taking the time to choose the right setting for each scene is one of the best ways to ensure our writing has impact. Why? Because the setting touches everything. It can characterize the story’s cast, evoke mood, generate conflict, shape the plot, and even use symbols and emotional triggers to show readers what the protagonist… The post How to Amp Up a “Boring” Story Setting appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

REGARD MY FLOATING HEAD AND BEHOLD THE TEXT We’ve got a proper tour a-formed, with more details right here: So, as it stands, the tour is: 8/18 — Launch party at Thrillerdelphia! With one of my favorite people, ML Rio, and we will surely have our morbid murderly comedy hour. Tickets here. 8/19 — The Twisted

It’s 9th century Norway and Rúnr Njalson has been gifted supernatural warrior abilities as Odin’s chosen Berserkr. Enemies and allies quake in fear at his approach. But when the unbeatable hero cannot save his own daughter Yrsa during a rival clan’s raid, his only choice is to seek vengeance to gain her entry into Valhalla.

Fantasy is my first love, full stop. You need to know this, because otherwise you might think I sound a bit cranky. Many elements are in play in a well-written fantasy novel, but I’m going to focus on some potent DO-NOTs (the potentially cranky-sounding part). But trust me—avoiding the following pitfalls will strengthen your fantasy… The post Writing Fantasy: What Not To Do appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

By Janice HardyAt the heart of every story is a person with a problem, and the more compelling that person is, the better the story will be. Imagine you’re having lunch one day when you overhear an animated group at a table, gossiping about a bunch of people with crazy lives. Some of them debate which hottie Jess should end up with, while others discuss the terrible behavior of Selene, and not one of them can agree on what Alastair is really up to.You lean closer, curious about this wild group, and soon realize they’re not talking about life on the cul-de-sac, but their favorite novel—or more specifically—their favorite characters. If you’re a writer (or a reader), discussing fictional people as if they really existed is normal. For writers, it’s even encouraged.A well-drawn character comes to life on the page, and […]

In my last post, I discussed why chapter endings can be tricky (because they provide a natural stopping point for readers) and how to counteract that. By using a variety of endings—cliffhangers, something unexpected, a goodbye, comforting closure—you can end a chapter in a way that sustains momentum and encourages readers to keep reading. But… The post Use Literary Devices to Propel Readers Past Chapter Endings appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

Firstly, I note that we are now in the one-month-ish run-up to The Calamities, which of course means I’m going to be louder and more annoying about that book for the next four or so weeks. (And then, let’s be honest, after that, too.) So, as pre-penance, here is a picture of a puffin. That