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How Point of View Can Solve Your Writing Troubles
By Janice Hardy, @Janice_HardyPoint of view is one of the strongest tools writers have for crafting stories readers just can’t put down.Before I dive in today…my workshop for the Writing Success Series...
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Why No One Is Reading Past Your First Chapter
By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy A lackluster first chapter can turn readers off and make them abandon the book before they've given it a fair chance. I’m a brutal reader. If the first page of a novel...
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Picking the Perfect Thoughts to Italicize
By Janice Hardy, @Janice_HardyItalicized thoughts can be a powerful tool to draw attention to what a character is thinking, but it's easy to over do it.Before I dive in, I'm guest posting over at...
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From Character to Short Story Plot
By Rayne Hall, @RayneHallPart of the Focus on Short Fiction SeriesJH: Not every story starts with plot—some start with character. Rayne Hall shares tips and exercises to develop your short story idea...
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Form Fitting: Using Story Structure to Your Advantage
By Janice Hardy, @Janice_HardyIf you're ignoring story structure, you could be making a huge mistake.Every novel has structure, whether you outline it or pants it. Stories have followed a basic...
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3 Writing Rules You Can Break
By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy Some rules are absolutely made to be broken. There are tons of rules in writing. Some we need to follow to be understood, others are more like guidelines, and some have...
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Seems So: Are Your Characters Misleading Your Readers?
By Janice Hardy, @Janice_HardyThings might not always be what the seem. One of the many strengths of point of view (POV) is that readers get to experience the story world through the eyes of your POV...
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How to Create a Strong Mentor Character
By Janice Hardy, @Janice_HardyMentors are a great tool for telling your protagonist what to do, without telling you protagonist what to do.The Mentor is one of the more common character archetypes in...
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Put Up Your Dukes: Crafting Dynamic Fight Scenes
By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy A strong fight scene is more than just who throws the punches.One of the first fight scenes I ever wrote was for a fantasy novel, so it involved swords and daggers and a...
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Are You Missing These Opportunities to Write a Better Story?
By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy Transform your story by mining its hidden gems.One of the many reasons I adore my critique groups is that they push me to tell better stories. When I slack off, they call...
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Behind the Red Pen: What to Look for When Vetting an Editor
By Jaire Sims, @JaireSimsPart of the Indie Authors Series JH: Choosing the right editor for your manuscript is more than just picking the first name on a list or result page. Jaire Sims shares what you...
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7 Ways Your Characters Can Screw up Their Decisions
By Janice Hardy, @Janice_HardyMaking the wrong choice isn't good in life, but it's great for plotting a novel.As people, we want to make the right choice, so it's only natural that those are the...
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Stuck on a Scene? Try This Trick to Get it Moving Again
By Janice Hardy, @Janice_HardyThe problem isn’t always where you think it is.Before I dive in today, I'm also guest posting over at Writers in the Storm, sharing tips on How to Make Clichés Work for...
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Finding the Right Balance with Your Stage Directions
By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy Awkward stage direction can turn an otherwise good scene into a clunky mess, but the right balance of action and character thought lets the reader sail on through.No...
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Three Questions to Get to the Heart of Your Story
By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy The story is why readers picked up your book. Writing is such a strange thing. As writers, we get these characters and stories in our heads and put them down on paper....
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Decisions, Decisions: Creating Character Choices That Matter
By Janice Hardy, @Janice_HardyA plot is just the series of choices a character makes in a story. Making a decision is one of the most important things your characters will ever do. Not only does it...
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The Problem With Flash Forwards as an Opening Scene
By Janice Hardy, @Janice_HardyIf you have to flash forward to hook a reader, you’re not starting in the right place.I admit, flash forwards are a big pet peeve of mine. I find them awkward and...
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Did You Choose the Best Words to Describe Your Setting?
By Janice Hardy, @Janice_HardyYour reader doesn’t know what you’re picturing when you write a scene. Make sure they see what you see.Setting is a vital component of a novel, but it's one of the more...
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3 Places Told Prose Likes to Hide
By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy Told prose can steal the oompf from your story and make readers want to skim. As a science fiction and fantasy writer, I was guilty of a lot of telling in my early work....
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In the Beginning: Which Type of Opening Works Best in a Novel?
By Janice Hardy, @Janice_HardyOpening lines are your novel's first impression on a reader. As long as it's a good impression, how you get there doesn't matter. The opening line of your novel is...
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