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The 2022 Wrap Up: What Are Your Goals for 2023?
By Janice Hardy, @Janice_HardyIt’s a new year, and time to take a look back on what we accomplished, and set new goals for 2023.Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and...
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The Difference Between Setting and World Building
By Janice Hardy, @Janice_HardyYour novel’s world will change the look and feel of every setting in that world. Where is your novel set? It’s a basic question every writer can answer, either with a...
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7 Reasons Why Your First Draft Sucks
By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy First drafts are written first for a reason.Getting to the end of a first draft is an accomplishment that ought to be celebrated, no matter what state that draft is in....
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How a Sequel Works with a Scene
By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy Sequels are the emotional glue holding scenes together. Before I dive it, I’m over at The Insecure Writer’s Support Group today, chatting about the dangers of empty...
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5 Ways to Raise the Stakes in Your Scene
By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy The worse things get for your character, the better it is for your reader. I love doing terrible things to my characters. I’m a firm believer that whatever doesn’t kill...
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Move Along: Fixing Pacing Problems
By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy A badly paced novel can ruin an otherwise strong story.Pacing problems fall into two categories: too slow or too fast. While this makes it easy to diagnose the trouble,...
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There is No Bad Guy: What to do When Your Antagonist Isn't a Villain
By Janice Hardy. @Janice_Hardy All stories need an antagonist, but not all stories have a villain. The word antagonist usually conjures an image of a "bad guy," but that's not always the case. The...
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How to Find Your Readers
By Jenna HartePart of The Indie Author SeriesJH: It's hard to sell a book if you don't know who you're selling it to. Jenna Harte shares tips on identifying and then finding your reading audience.I...
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The 5 Turning Points of a Character Arc
By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy The character arc is a strong tool for adding an emotional layer to a story.For most novels, the character arc is a critical part of the tale. It’s the emotional layer...
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How to Find Your Character's Voice
By Janice HardyFinding the right voice for a character can be tough, especially if you’re not sure who that character is yet.Although a lot of people talk about author voice in fiction, character voice...
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What is “Bad Writing?” (And How Can We Avoid It?)
By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy"Bad writing" means different things to different readers.We writers notice bad writing far more easily than readers, because we know the rules. For us, the writing is...
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How to Write a Short Story Spin-Off from Your Novel
By Rayne Hall, @RayneHallPart of the Focus on Short Fiction SeriesJH: Short stories can be a fantastic marketing tool for your novel. Rayne Hall shows you how to use your novels to create short story...
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How to Make Backstory Work for You
By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy A character's history is important, but not enough to bog down your entire story to hear it.Along with adverbs and telling, I think backstory completes the unholy trinity...
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Plotting a Short Love Story
By Rayne Hall, @RayneHallPart of the Focus on Short Fiction SeriesJH: Short fiction is a great way to satisfy readers between novels. Rayne Hall shares tips on how to write a compelling romance...
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3 Steps to Crafting a Story Arc that Sucks
By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy Sucks readers in…of course. A novel is a series of smaller story arcs all leading toward “an exciting conclusion,” whatever that may be. These smaller arcs fit together...
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The Real Problem With Passive Voice in Fiction
By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy Passive voice in a novel can put your readers right to sleep.Before we dive in, a little heads up that I'm over at Writers in the Storm today, chatting about how to use...
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Give Your Story Meaning with Inner Conflict and Theme
By Rayne Hall, @RayneHallPart of the Focus on Short Fiction SeriesJH: No matter the size of your story, a theme can deepen it and make it stronger. Rayne Hall shares tips on finding and developing your...
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Living in My Head: Crafting Natural-Sounding Internal Thoughts
By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy How to write tight, third-person internalization that feels natural to the character.Getting inside a character's head is a key element to getting the reader to care...
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The Difference Between a Writing Problem, and a “Not for Me” Issue
By Janice Hardy, @Janice_HardySometimes the problem is with the reviewer, not the book.Not every book is for every reader. Readers have topics they dislike no matter how well written a book is, and...
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The Power of Small Problems: Elevate Your Plot with Little Conflicts
By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy Little problems can be just as devastating to your characters' plans as full-blown issues.I'm prone to migraines and when one hits, I'm pretty much down for the day (or...
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