Curiosity and Passion: The Writer’s Friends

by Craig von Buseck @CraigVonBuseck

As a writer of history and biography, I have found two essential keys to writing success—curiosity and passion. These two tools come into play from the choosing of a project until the submission to an editor or publisher.

Creating Authenticity Within Fiction

by Kathleen Neely @NeelyKneely3628

Authenticity within fiction may sound like a paradox, but let me explain. Today’s readers are very selective. Inaccuracies lead to poor reviews, something most writers dread. Research is not just for time period novels.

Who are You When You are Writing?

by DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills

When writing presses against your mind, and you can’t wait to begin, who are you?

Dipping the Quill Deeper: “Be a Fish”

by Eva Marie Everson

I took French in “middle school,” as we called it. “Junior high,” it is now called. My teacher was a wonderfully funny and creative man named Jack Griffin. If I’m not mistaken, he is the first teacher my classmates and I ever called by a first name. Never in class, of course. In class he was “Mr. Griffin,” but outside of class we called him “Jack.” Even in his presence.

Adding Subtext to Your Writing - Another Layer to Baking a Novel

by Ane Mulligan @AneMulligan

Last month, I equated writing a novel to baking a cake in my post, Baking a Novel. I must be craving sweets, because this month, I find myself writing about more layers to this cake. However, if the spatula fits, lick it … or something like that.

13 Things that Might Be Holding You Back as a Writer

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

Choosing to be a writer can be a daunting prospect. It involves courage, creativity, and yes, commitment. When we’re unwilling to make that commitment, we can destine ourselves to failure before we’ve had a chance to succeed. 

This post isn’t meant to beat anyone up, but rather to make us aware of some of the things holding us back on our writing journey.

Using Concrete versus Abstract Character Objectives for Your Story

by Zena Dell Lowe @ZenaDellLowe

One of the most important things for your story is to have an active (not passive) main character who has a clear, objective goal to pursue throughout the entire story. And yet, one of the most common problems that I see are stories with passive main characters who don’t drive the action of the story because they have no clear objective. To that end, I thought it might be helpful to clarify the differences between concrete and abstract objectives.