Writing Tips

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy Even if you do little to no character development before you start writing, asking this one question can pinpoint the core of who that character is. Since I write science fiction and fantasy, those character templates with tons of questions never worked for me. They’re always rooted in the real world and I spent too much time trying to figure out if “god-appointed assassin” was their employment, religion, or maybe even a calling. I can see the appeal of such a questionnaire, but I tend to be a minimalist when creating characters. I like to learn who they are by tossing them into the plot and seeing what they do. But it helps to have a starting point for those characters, otherwise they develop willy nilly and feel completely inconsistent and at odds with themselves. They make decisions based […]

Should you publish exclusively on Amazon, or should you publish your books wide, making them available on every platform, in every country and every format possible? This is probably one of the common questions asked by writers considering self-publishing, and it’s an important one. However, it isn’t a decision set in stone, either. So as The post Self-Published Authors: Amazon Exclusive or Go Wide? first appeared on Live Write Thrive.

When you put your writing out there for others to read, what do you hope will happen? If you’re like most writers, you want readers to get pulled into your story and keep turning pages to the end. You want your story to be un-put-downable. It’s no secret that the time-tested method of using cliffhangers at the end of your chapters or scenes is a sure-fire way to make that happen. But what a lot of writers don’t realize is that the cliffhanger ending is only half the equation. The cliffhanger is the hook that makes the reader turn the page, but if you don’t have a solid line supporting them across the gap and a sinker that pulls them deep into the next scene or chapter, your fish is likely to wriggle off and swim away. The post The Cliffhanger: How to Write a Story Your Readers Can’t Put Down appeared first on The Write […]

The post Use the Cow-Farts Method to Find a Lucrative Writing Niche appeared first on Make a Living Writing.

Successful stories are driven by authentic and interesting characters, so it’s important to craft them carefully. But characters don’t usually exist in a vacuum; throughout the course of your story, they’ll live, work, play, and fight with other cast members. … Continue reading → The post Relationship Thesaurus Entry: Teacher and Student appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy The act two choice is a pivotal moment in your novel, and the wrong choice could send your middle in the wrong direction. It’s far too easy to know what happens at the end of act one and just plow on forward into act two without really thinking about how the protagonist got there. Did they choose it, or were they dragged along? Most writing advice and structures combine the act one problem (whatever name it’s called, as it has several) and the act two choice, but I find it more helpful to think of them as two separate moments. This is the first major plot point where the protagonist needs to choose to move forward. So it seems only logical to pay attention to what that choice is. If there’s no choice being made, that’s a red flag the protagonist might be reactive or have no agency to act. […]

If you’ve ever told a good story—one that has your friends or family on the floor laughing, or else on the edge of their seat asking, “What happened next?!”—then you know that you can’t get to the point of the story too quickly. Instead, you draw out interest. You talk about all the things that went wrong. You make jokes and accentuate the best details. When you’re done, it’s not the punchline people remember; it’s everything leading up to it. The same is true when you’re writing a story, particularly in novels, memoirs, and screenplays. It’s called the Rising Action, and it’s essential to get it right IF you want to write entertaining, informative, and deeply connecting stories. In this article, I’m going to talk about the rising action: what it is, how it works in a story, how it’s been treated by […]

By Orly Konig, @OrlyKonigPart of The How They Do It SeriesJH: Having to revise on a tight deadline can give any writer nightmares, but sometimes we have a lot to do in little time. Orly Konig shares tips on how she managed a full rewrite in just five weeks—as a pantser. Orly Konig is an escapee from the corporate world. Now she spends her days chatting up imaginary friends, drinking too much coffee, and negotiating writing space around her cats. She is the founding president of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association and a member of the Tall Poppy Writers. She’s a book coach and author of The Distance Home and Carousel Beach.Website | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram | BookBub | GoodreadsTake it away Orly…Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com

Writing is hard, but it can be easier if you’re not doing it alone. Eileen Cook is here to share 5 reasons why you should join a group. Writing may be a solo journey, but a writing community can make … Continue reading → The post Why Should You Join a Writing Community? appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

We think that we need talent in order to be successful writers—or musicians, or golfers. But the truth is, writing, like any other skill, is learned and improved through daily discipline. Are you maintaining the disciplines you need to become a successful writer? The post Writing Discipline: Why Talent Isn’t Enough (And What You Need Instead) appeared first on The Write Practice.

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy In some ways, pacing is more critical to a novel than plot. My husband isn’t a kidlit reader, and when he read my novel The Shifter for the first time, he said, “Wow, you do stuff in three pages that would take an adult book three chapters.” An exaggeration, but there’s truth in there. MG/YA is typically faster paced than adult work, because kids won’t put up with something that drags. If you can’t grab and hold their attention, you’re a goner. Pacing is one way to keep that attention. A well-paced novel keeps readers engaged—and reading. This is one reason why “bad books” still make the bestseller lists. A good story matched with solid pacing pulls readers through the novel even if the writing is so-so. There’s always something to learn or discover and rarely—if ever—and urge to […]

Are you looking for business writing gigs? There’s a niche industry that’s absolutely killing it. And chances are pretty good you know more about this business-writing niche than you think. Why? Because it’s become a part of everyday life. E-commerce is a massive global industry that refers to the buying and selling of goods or services online. Retail sales alone in the U.S amounted to over $700 billion in 2020. Experts expect the industry to sustain exponential growth as COVID-19 drives more people to conduct business online. That means there’s ample business writing opportunities in e-commerce if you tap into the right markets. And those opportunities are for both B2C and B2B audiences. To successfully land business-writing gigs in e-commerce, you’ll need to: Identify potential clients you want to write for Carefully study […]

CONTEST CLOSED! SEE YOU NEXT MONTH Happy February, everyone! Angela and I are hard at work doing all the things, as I’m sure you all are, too. We’re hoping that you’re finding time to dedicate to your writing. If so, … Continue reading → The post Critiques 4 U! appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

By Rachelle ShawPart of the Focus on Short Fiction SeriesJH: Short stories give us opportunities to explore new ideas without committing to months and month of work. Rachelle Shaw shares answers a few short story questions, and shares five tips on how to write them.Whether you’re new to writing or already have several books under your belt, short stories are a fabulous go-to, especially for the time-crunched writer. They allow you to get your words in while providing additional insight into your writing style, the minds of your characters, and underlying themes. They can be tricky to get right—requiring practice and polishing—but with patience and the right tools, shorts can become a cornerstone to upping your writing game. Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com

Do you regularly scan job boards looking for online writing jobs, but only find low-paying gigs? If so, you might need to get a little choosier about where you look. If your typical rates are above what the listings offer, it may be time to stop checking the job boards altogether. In general, you’ll do better with proactive prospecting to find your own clients, rather than applying to mass-online-job ads where you compete with hundreds of writers. But if checking online job ads is still a part of your regular marketing routine, at least be an educated freelancer and target boards that are the best fit for you. We interviewed site owners and researched listings to bring you this inside look at what’s available on 17 top boards: The post Online Writing Jobs: The Inside Scoop on 17 Freelance Writing Job Boards appeared first […]

Do you like writing fanfiction, but struggle to get going? Do you like to use fanfiction prompts to practice writing? Or, do you question if writing fanfiction will even benefit your writing?  Fanfiction can actually make your writing much stronger. And understanding what fanfiction is and using fanfiction prompts to give it a try (before you bash it) might be well worth your time. The post 3 Fundamental Lessons Fanfiction Taught Me and 5 Fanfiction Prompts You Can Try appeared first on The Write Practice.

Today’s guest post is by Jacquelyn Lynn For a lot of nonfiction books, self-publishing is a no-brainer. But for novels? It’s a viable option growing in popularity, but there’s a lot to consider before you make your decision. The most important issue for most authors is cost. Publishing done right can be expensive. When you The post Is Self-Publishing a Good Choice for Your Novel? first appeared on Live Write Thrive.

You want to be a better writer. But you wake up every day feeling tired, barely even human, until you swig some morning brew. And even then, that pick-me-up is only temporary. Sometimes the hustle to be a better writer can feel like an uphill battle against the Dark Lord’s of freelancing…Fatigue, Exhaustion, Brain Drain, and evil incarnate…Writer’s Block. Sound familiar? If you’ve ever spent an entire day rolling around on the floor in a fog, seemingly out of ideas, you’re not alone. Or maybe you’ve only had enough energy to pull an Oscar Wilde, calling it a day after editing the crap out of a single comma. That ever happen? If you’re struggling to be a better writer, you might be quick to criticize your level of talent, experience, education, skills, or creativity. But that may not be what’s holding you back. […]

Critique by Janice Hardy, @Janice_HardyWIP Diagnostics is a weekly column that studies a snippet of a work in progress for specific issues. Readers are encouraged to send in work with questions, and we diagnose it on the site. It’s part critique, part example, and designed to help the submitter as well as anyone else having a similar problem. If you’re interested in submitting to WIP Diagnostics, please check out these guidelines. Submissions currently in the queue: ZeroPlease Note: As of today, critique slots are open. This week’s questions:1. Does it grab attention?2. Would you want to read on?3. Do the characters have personalities?4. Does it work?Market/Genre: Urban Fantasy Short StoryNote: This is a revised piece of a previous submission. Here’s the original for those who’d like to see how the author reworked it.On […]

Successful stories are driven by authentic and interesting characters, so it’s important to craft them carefully. But characters don’t usually exist in a vacuum; throughout the course of your story, they’ll live, work, play, and fight with other cast members. … Continue reading → The post Relationship Thesaurus Entry: Business Partners appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.