Writing Tips

Creativity Is Part of the Process This guest post was written by Mert Gundogan, the person behind QRGenHub, a free QR code generator with multiple options. The QR code to the right will take you to his site, in a … Continue reading →

Happy Birthday, One Stop for Writers! Eleven years ago, Becca and I launched One Stop for Writers® on a mission: to make the process of writing a book easier. We knew firsthand how frustrating it could be to envision a story so clearly but struggle to get it onto the page. So we spent a… The post Celebrating 11 Years at One Stop for Writers! appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

This year, I am considerably daunted by the prospect of doing in-depth apple reviews — I want to! I do! But with our brand new dog, Cooper, and with one big leg of a book tour over and now a second, shorter leg coming up (see you in New Hampshire, Vermont, Ottawa, and Rhinebeck NY?),

By Janice Hardy Emotions are critical in most novels, but writing them can sometimes be a challenge.   Describing outward emotions can often sound forced because people in the moment feeling those emotions aren’t usually thinking, “I just want to stare deeply into his eyes.” They’re thinking about the color, the way the other person makes their heart race, how time seems to stop when their gazes meet. It’s the effect of that deep gazing that’s on their minds, not the actual gazing part. Let’s say you’re writing a situation that requires an emotional response. Instead of looking at the character who’s about to become emotional in some way, try going inside her head and thinking about what that person would feel. 1. What physical symptoms would they experience? Emotions trigger physical reactions. Racing heart, shaking, […]

*Straightens up, squares her shoulders, and tiptoes onto the stage of Chuck’s Terrible Minds blog.* *Chuck holds up a poster saying “GO FOR IT! YOU CAN DO IT!”* *Nods at Chuck, takes a deep breath and clears her throat.* Salutations, everybody! Is this mic working? *Blows on mic. Jumps a little at the high-pitched squeal

Every writer hits a point where they have to take a break from their manuscript. Whether your day job ramped up, the kids needed more attention, or someone’s health went sideways, real life has a way of derailing our best intentions. Thankfully, those distractions don’t last forever, and you’ll soon be coming back to your… The post How to Return to a Manuscript After Taking a Break appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

It’s time for another season of our Resident Writing Coach Program, where we invite wicked-smart writing experts to share their wisdom and experience, helping you to grow your story skills, strengthen your creative mindset, and get your career to the next stage. Each year we have some new coaches and some returning, so let me… The post Meet Our 2026-2027 Resident Writing Coaches! appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

BEHOLD: A DOG. It’s a strange thing, to get a dog after you’ve ever had any other dog, because frequently the new dog is there to replace, in some sense, a dog who has come before them. I don’t mean as a literal replacement, where you’re hoping to get a weird little clone of the

“God-killing seemed a lofty ambition. Then again, is that not what we’re here to do in our hunt for the Dweller in Darkness?” All of Cassius Marius’ life has been spent in service to the Pale King. Ever since his birth sixteen years ago on the night the Hero of Hathur died, his mother prepared

Many stories that feature a character with a physical or mental health challenge are about that challenge. It plays a pivotal role, coming up often, and growth and failure opportunities often revolve around it. But, sometimes, the condition is simply an aspect of your character—NOT what your book’s about. Without a deft hand, the condition… The post Writing a Health Challenge When It’s Not What Your Story’s About appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

When it comes to storytelling, fear is more than a feeling; it’s an underlying force that runs through multiple story elements, influencing plot, character arc, internal growth, and conflict. Fear makes the story feel human and true, and readers are sucked in when we use this emotion to bring plot and character arc together to… The post Maximize Character Growth By Building Fear into Your Turning Points appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

By Janice Hardy Your novel’s conflict—and the antagonist—can come from any number of places.  Conflict is vital to any story, but it isn’t always between people, which can be a bit confusing for writers looking for their antagonist. Some stories pit the protagonist against society, or a natural disaster. Others have the traditional hero vs. villain setup. No matter the genre though, there will be conflict in the story, and understanding what’s at the heart of yours will make it easier to write. For example, if you have a person vs. self conflict, you’ll know your protagonist will act in ways that are personally harmful, and the plot will show how he or she overcomes that trait or flaw causing trouble in his or her life. Let’s look at the four classic story conflict types and how they define the basic conflict […]

Popping in here to letchyall know there’s a couple sales going on if you’re so inclined to save some ducats — both The Staircase in the Woods and The Book of Accidents are on sale in their respective electronic formats for a buck ninety-nine a pop. And this is true at all the e-book sites,

Inner conflict is one of the most powerful sources of character tension because it forces a protagonist to wrestle with competing wants, fears, beliefs, duties, and values. But what happens when the character simply refuses to act? Writers need an effective way escalate the situation until that unresolved inner conflict can no longer be ignored…. The post Use Amplifiers to Force Your Character to Face Inner Conflict appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

What Are Redundancies? These nuisances are superfluous words or phrases also known as pleonasms. Rather than augment writing, they slow action scenes and increase word count — without adding constructive details. Remember as you attempt this quiz, that one of … Continue reading →

Readers LOVE morally gray characters. Go on Instagram or TikTok and it’s all everyone is talking about. Antiheroes who screw with our perception of the ‘greater good’ … Villains with traumatic backstories … Antagonists doing the wrong thing for the right reasons. This is catnip for your target reader! But there’s a problem. Writers often get… The post Antihero vs. Antagonist vs. Villain: What’s The Difference? appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

By Janice Hardy Finding ways to describe your first-person point of view narrator isn’t easy—and a few things not to do. First person point of view has its own share of challenges, but one of the trickier ones is describing your narrator. You’re always looking out, never in, and it can be awkward to have your character talk about their own attributes. If done poorly, you wind up with a character who sounds incredible self-absorbed. Before I suggest things to try, let’s start with some common clichés you don’t want to do. Avoid the Mirror Trick It seems like an easy answer to simply have the character look in a mirror and describe what they see, but it’s been done so many times (and done badly) that agents and readers cringe when they see it. If the novel happens to start this way, it’s likely a kiss of […]

Home again, home again, jiggity jig! Two-and-a-half weeks out there on the road sharing the gospel good word of demons, demons everywhere with readers, and I gotta tell you, it was both a very exciting and also incredibly wearying tour. The exciting: I mean, every event was legit great, with tons of cool readers coming

Want to win editorial feedback and take your storyfrom good to great? Well, my writerly friend, you’re in luck! It’s time for our monthly Phenomenal First Pages contest. In this draw, you can win… Editorial feedback on the first 10 pages of your novel PLUS a 20-minute Zoom meeting to discuss the edits This contest is… The post Win Feedback on 10 Pages Plus a 20 Minute Zoom appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

At some point in our writing journey (or life in general), we’ll all struggle with procrastination and distractions. At the same time, we all probably have way too much on our to-do list and not nearly enough time, so losing time (time that we don’t have) can be stressful. Much has been written about how… The post Procrastinating? Identify Your Cognitive Mode appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.