Writing Tips

By Janice Hardy Tension is a valuable tool for getting readers to turn the page—no matter what genre you write in.  Conflict and tension are two things writers want in every scene, but it can be rough getting them both in there without a fight. Characters can’t always be at odds or butting heads, and “conflict as a fight” gets old pretty fast. Even a solid difference of opinion can only happen so many times before it starts to feel repetitious. It’s also tough to find new ways to build tension when the characters in the scene are friends working toward the same goal. How do you create conflict and not have friends turn on each other? Secrets. People don’t tell each other everything, and even friends and family hold information back. Sometimes that information is important, but often it’s just embarrassing or […]

Backstory is often maligned despite being vital to storytelling. For example, how many times have you heard someone say, “Backstory is bad, strip it from the scene!” or, “Backstory slows the pace, bogs down the action, and will only bore the reader.” Blanket statements can do a lot of damage, leaving writers believing they mustn’t… The post How to Deliver Important Backstory Using the Setting 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 →

Knowing what a character stands to lose is supposed to get readers invested in their struggle. Stakes you can see coming get readers rooting for a character. They keep readers turning pages to see how the character will edge out the odds and clear the next hurdle. But stakes in isolation aren’t enough to get… The post Your Stakes Are Clear. So Why Doesn’t Anyone Care? appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

By Janice Hardy Theme is an often overlooked tool in a writer’s toolbox. Here’s another look at finding the greater meaning in your story.   Several years ago, I attended a workshop on theme at RWA. It was a fascinating session, because the presenters were romance author Suzanne Brockmann and English professor and literary critic, Sarah Frantz, who studies romance in general, and Brockmann in particular. To see what the reader took away from the book versus what the author intended was quite interesting. They were similar, but not always exact. And that’s okay, because everyone takes away something different from a book. Some of the things they said made me look at theme in a new light, and made me think about ways to discuss theme that can be directly applied to a writer’s work. Looking back on this, I can see how theme […]

Last week, I had one of those days when my creative brain needed one of those intersection traffic cops. (You’ve seen those cool cops, right? They’ve got the cool whistle, and they look like they’re conducting a symphony.) Nothing was actually wrong. In fact, I had too many GOOD things happening…and it was short-circuiting my… The post Your Creative Brain Has Two Jobs – Stop Making It Do Both at Once appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

Fear is one of the most powerful emotions in a story so avoiding common mistakes is paramount. When readers sense a character is experiencing fear they practically lean in, waiting to see what will happen next…but only if the writer uses strong, descriptive choices that layer on discomfort and dread. So how do we do… The post 5 Mistakes Writers Make When Describing a Character’s Fear appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

By Janice Hardy A mental shift in how we think about our writing and process can change our perspective, and thus, help us see the things we’ve been missing. A long time ago, when I was still fairly new to writing, I had my mind blown by a simple “change of perspective” in how I looked at writing. It was a light-bulb moment that finally made me understand something I’d been struggling with at that time—point of view. In the years that followed, I’ve had plenty of moments where changing how I thought about something writing-related helped me understand it, or use it better. As I’ve spoken with other writers, I’ve seen the same lights go on in their eyes as they looked at something they’d struggled with and finally saw things click into place. There’s a reason there is so much writing advice out there, from […]

Writing is hard, and unfortunately, getting stuck can be part of the process. Figuring a way forward is important to keep that momentum going. That’s why we created the Storyteller’s Roadmap at One Stop for Writers–there’s a lot of things to plan, track, and refine and knowing how to navigate it all can be a… The post Write Your Way to the Finish Line: Save 20% at One Stop for Writers appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

The Push to Live With Less Artificial Intelligence More and more people are becoming nervous about artificial intelligence and its effect on the environment. Many experts predict that in just a few years, the global consumption of water by AI … Continue reading →

Fear is much more than an emotion—it is one of the biggest influencers of human behavior. Whenever we encounter a situation with unknowns, fear kicks in. Even if we do not yet know what is triggering our unease, our senses heighten, our blood pressure rises, and we go on high alert, searching for possible threats…. The post How to Show a Character’s Fear in Real Time appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

By Janice Hardy If your first pages don’t grab readers, your problem might not be the writing—it might be where you started. Openings are hard, especially if you’re not sure if you’re starting in the right place. The sheer amount of “is this opening working?” submissions I get in Real Life Diagnostics is testament to that. The old “start with the action” has frustrated many a writer due to its ambiguity, and even when we think we’ve done it all correctly, beta readers can still feel the opening isn’t grabbing them. I’ve talked about first lines and first pages before, so today, let’s focus on figuring out where to start your story, and how to diagnose it if you’re worried you’re starting in the wrong place. First, analyze your current opening, either the first scene or the first chapter if it’s only one scene: […]

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 your first page. This contest is closed. Please try again next month. If you’d like to be notified when… The post Win Feedback on Your First Page! appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

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®.

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®.

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®.

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®.