“Writing fiction is hard,” one of our writers’ group members said in our final meeting before the holidays. “Next year, I’m choosing just two strategies. With just two, maybe I can focus and get better at writing.” We all loved her “two strategies” idea. The writer shared her strategies with ...
Fiction Tips
Plotting Fiction: The Most Popular Posts This Year
Continuing with our yearly review, let’s look at the blog’s most popular posts for plotting fiction. Is plotting a challenge for you? I found plotting horrendous for years: I was convinced that I was a pantser (someone who writes by the seat of his pants)—I was someone who couldn’t ...
Fiction Writing: The Most Popular Posts This Year
The fiction writing posts on the blog were popular this year. Continuing with our annual review, let’s look at the most popular ones. Fiction writing: emotion, plotting, and suspense Plotting and suspense are challenges for many authors—and how do we create emotions readers can ...
Get Started Writing Fiction: Try These 2 Tips
At our last writers’ group meeting we gained several new members. They’re all new to writing fiction. We discussed how to get started. Writing fiction: trust yourself Even if you’re new to writing fiction, you know the basics of what makes a story. You’ve been watching TV and movies most of your ...
Writing Fiction: 3 Tips To Help You To Create Believable Conflict
When you’re writing fiction, you’re writing about characters in conflict, and the more believable you can make your novel’s conflicts, the better. Conflicts can be major (battlefields in a war), or minor: “you promised you’d buy milk on your way home!” Want to write a page-turner? Do that by ...
Writing Fiction: 3 Tips To Boost A Sagging Novel
You love writing fiction when you begin your novel. Your inspiration soars. You’re convinced that your novel’s central idea is the best idea you’ve ever had. Sooner or later however, usually after the first 25% of your novel, you flag. You doubt your plot and your characters. If you’re not ...
