PLEASE If not, why not? I don’t have time The author probably spent a heck of a lot more time writing the story than you took to read it, no matter how slow you think you are, so why not take a few…

on Writers Helping Writers: A cardinal sin of storytelling is to skimp on conflict, and no wonder. Those problems, challenges, obstacles, and inner struggles help keep readers engaged, casting doubt on the character’s ability to achieve their goal. Because readers are focused on what’s happening from one scene to the next, it can appear that conflict is only occurring moment to moment.

on Writers Helping Writers: Likeable characters can become the beating heart of your narrative. Readers root for them and stick with them throughout their journeys. But what exactly makes a character likeable? It’s not just about being nice but making them relatable. So, let’s look at how to write such characters! Continue reading HERE

on Writers Helping Writers: Facts are facts: writers throw a lot of rocks at characters. Enemies. Obstacles. Maybe a rabid zombie or two. And we aren’t nice about it, spacing out each projectile, no. We like to line up our canons and see just how many hits a character can take…all in the name of character arc growth. Whether it’s marriage problems, a car breakdown, or a killer taunting our character by choosing victims they know, at a certain point, our character is going to blow up.

on Writers Helping Writers: Writing intense scenes can be one of the most exciting parts of storytelling. Whether it’s a gripping fight, a romantic encounter that leaves hearts racing, or an emotional moment that hits readers hard, these scenes pull readers in and keep them hooked. But creating truly intense moments takes more than just throwing in action or dramatic emotions. It’s about pacing, sensory details, and staying true to your character. Continue reading HERE

on Jane Friedman site: To most readers, picture books appear to be simple stories, easy to write and short in length. New writers often enter the world of writing for children by attempting to write picture books rather than longer form stories, only to discover that picture books are not easy to write at all. Good picture books are complex and layered, structured as carefully as a novel yet linguistically closer to a poem.

on Live Write Thrive: If you’ve been writing fiction for a while, you’ve probably heard editors or other writers insist that adverbs and overused words (and actions) weaken writing. That advice may be followed by the famous writerly command “show, don’t tell.” That’s because readers today want to “see” what’s happening in a story, not have it told to them—and using adverbs and “weasel words” often leads to “telling.” Continue reading HERE

on Live Write Thrive: You’ve spent hours, maybe months, developing a rich background for each of your characters and the world they inhabit. As the creator of your story, you are omniscient. You know why your characters behave the way they do and how their past has fashioned them into who they are. And now your job is to somehow bring out those bits of history through your story.

on Live Write Thrive: Every writer has to work on strengthening the construction of their sentences and paragraphs. No one’s writing is perfect, but with effort any writer can improve. There are always aspects to our writing that could be better. In this post we’ll take a look at 5 ways to strengthen weak writing, whether you are working on a fiction or nonfiction project, poetry or a screenplay.