Writing Fiction: One Simple, Essential Element You May Be Missing

In a recent writers’ group meeting, we discussed writing fiction, as we often do. A topic came up which intrigued me. I know that I often overlook this simple, but very important element. Writing fiction: is your novel or short story unbalanced? One writer in the group said: “I want to talk about pacing. I’m … Read more

Short Fiction: 5 Powerful Tips For Writing Quick Short Stories

You’d love to write, but you can’t imagine spending months on a novel. Why not write short fiction? Not only will short stories improve your writing skills, they’ll also build your readership. You can write and self-publish a short story as soon as you’ve edited it. Alternatively, you can wait. When you a have a … Read more

Rewrite Your Novel: 3 Powerful Steps To Turn A Mess Into A Book

It’s time to rewrite your novel. In a recent writers’ group meeting, we discussed the benefits and perils of rewriting. Many authors enjoy their rewrites, because the hard work is done. They know they have a story, they just need shape it into the perfect reader-worthy novel for their genre. That said, rewriting can be … Read more

3 Quick Tips For Suspenseful Fiction: Invoke Readers’ Imagination

Last year, several of our writers’ group gatherings focused on writing suspenseful fiction. A member triggered this topic when she complained about feeling tired all day: “I stayed up until 2:30 this morning, finishing a novel. I thought why? Then I started wondering how I could write like that.” When we discussed books which hooked … Read more

Write Anyway If You’re Unmotivated: Try A Weird Strategy

Unmotivated? What if you could write anyway, no matter how you feel? Here’s a simple (but weird, sort of) strategy. Firstly, how did I hear about this? In a recent meeting of our writers’ group, we talked about how challenging writing can be if you’re unmotivated. Write anyway, even if you’re unmotivated… But what if … Read more

Writing Fiction: Plot Your Big Scenes First To Make Plotting Easier

If you’re writing fiction, you’ll struggle with translating the story in your head onto the page. Use scenes to make this process easier. You may be wondering… What’s a scene? In brief, a scene is action, which happens in real time, on the page. A scene is showing the reader, rather than telling him. Much … Read more