5 Ways First Pages Go Wrong

tightrope

Withholding information When a reader first opens your novel or story and reads the first line, the Continue Reading

Imperfect Dialogue: Making Characters Sound Real

soccer

I’ve been reading manuscripts lately and one thing keeps jumping out at me: dialogue that is too Continue Reading

It’s an Info Dump, But It Works

For the Win by Cory Doctorow

When writing a novel, one common admonishment is to keep in mind the goal of entertaining the Continue Reading

Narrative Arcs and Progressions

ostrich

A narrative arc is a necessary part of fiction and is often a key component of nonfiction, Continue Reading

Picture Books: Trust the Writing Process

journal

A friend and I are working on an idea for a picture book based on a true life event. The challenges Continue Reading

How Powerful are Your Words?

thehelp

Yesterday, I went to a local elementary school to tutor, something I've recently started. My second Continue Reading

Mentor Texts: Market Your Book to Teachers

Marcie Atkins

Guest post By Marcie Flinchum Atkins What is a mentor text? As a writer, do you read as many Continue Reading

3 Vs of Fiction: Vulnerability

In this 3-part series, "The 3 Vs of Fiction," we have discussed the first two Vs of writing Continue Reading

3 Vs of Fiction: Voice

MDamon1

In this 3-part series, "The 3 Vs of Fiction," we have discussed the first Vs of writing contemporary Continue Reading

3 Vs of Fiction: Vision

roombydonoghue

The burning question of every writer is, “How can I reach a wider audience?” Three things are Continue Reading