by Stephanie Morrill | Feb 23, 2022 | Author Life, Writing Life
Most writers understand that when you work for yourself, as all novelists do, you need to be self-motivated and disciplined. Even when you have an agent or editor, there’s nobody looking over your shoulder and telling you to write your book instead of watching Netflix...
by Jill Williamson | Feb 16, 2022 | Go Teen Writers Book Club, Learning from Other Authors, Plot, Scenes and Scene Structure, Story Structure, The Craft of Writing, Writing Tools
It’s no secret that I love Blake Snyder and his Save the Cat books. I own them all. I’ve read and dogeared them all. I’ve even taught workshops on his process at writing conferences! And I’ve blogged about it here, often. If you search for...
by Shannon Dittemore | Feb 9, 2022 | The Craft of Writing, Writing
The chosen one trope is one of my favorites, and since the cover for my book, Rebel, Brave and Brutal, is being revealed today, and since my main character falls into this category, I think it’s the perfect time to discuss why I love it so much. Real quick: The...
by Stephanie Morrill | Feb 2, 2022 | Characters, Compelling Character Series, First Drafts, Writing, Writing Tools
In the first post of this series, I talked about how I get to know my characters as I write, not through a bunch of exercises from before I write the book. Last week, I talked about four filters you can use to understand and manipulate your characters’...
by Stephanie Morrill | Jan 26, 2022 | Characters, Compelling Character Series
A couple weeks ago, I posted the first installment of this series, which was about how characters are created as you write. I shared how it can be useful to do character exercises before you write your novel, but that most of the time I find it more beneficial to...
by Jill Williamson | Jan 19, 2022 | Author Life, Brainstorming, Encouragement, Goals, Writing, Writing Life
I have been writing for about eighteen years. For much of that time, I have been trying to change myself as a writer and a creator. Some of that was important. When we learn, we are changing ourselves for the better. And when you are just getting started writing...
by Shannon Dittemore | Jan 12, 2022 | Author Life, Encouragement, Writing
Wouldn’t it be nice if we could pump quality books out at lightning speed? The idea comes, the writing flows, the plot appears on the page, the characters sizzle, and that ending! Wow! No plot holes. No inconsistencies. No writer’s block. No internet...
by Stephanie Morrill | Jan 5, 2022 | Antagonists, Characters, Compelling Character Series, First Drafts, The Craft of Writing
Hi, writers! I hope you enjoyed your holiday season and have come out on the other side feeling rested and energized. Holidays can also be uniquely draining times, especially if you’re the sort of person who thrives with routine and structure. That’s me! I...
by Jill Williamson | Dec 15, 2021 | Author Life, Creativity, Encouragement, Writing Life
Self-reflection is a big part of my life. Such a topic is usually set aside for January since starting the new year with reflection makes a lot of sense. But while I had a list of topics I could’ve written about today, when I realized I was the last post of the year,...
by Shannon Dittemore | Dec 8, 2021 | Author Life, Writing, Writing As A Business
As we finish out 2021, I’m also finishing a book. It’s a novel I started writing in January, and now, in December, I’m readying it for the copyeditor. The other day, a friend of mine said, “You’ve been doing this job for a while now. Has...
