When writing a story, the protagonist has to have a goal. There needs to be something specific the character is working towards so he has a sense of agency. What you often don’t hear, though, is that your protagonist needs Read more…
When talking with agents, editors, and even other writers, you often hear the question: What are your comps? Comparison (comp) titles are books that are similar to your manuscript. These comps help the other person quickly identify the type of Read more…
Has anyone ever told you that your story is falling flat and you need to raise the stakes? What they mean is you need more escalation in your plot, but not in the way most would think. Last week we Read more…
A story is a character trying to overcome obstacles to achieve a goal, but the reader won’t care unless there are significant stakes involved. Something has to be at risk in order for the story to have an impact. It Read more…
Today is another entry in the Character Under A Microscope series where I dig deeper into character development to help you make your characters realistic. This time we will examine why your characters talk. Seems simple, right? They talk to Read more…
Today I want to discuss writing a synopsis for literary agents and editors. A synopsis is a summary of the story’s plot, like an outline but more concise and in paragraph form instead of bullet points. This will probably be Read more…
Last week we talked about interiority and its subconscious aspects you can use to ground your readers in your character’s viewpoint. Today, I want to move on to the conscious side of character interiority. This is the part that shows Read more…
Last year, I did a post on interiority and how it gives readers access to the POV character’s thoughts and feelings throughout a story. If you missed that lesson or need a refresher, you can read my post on interiority Read more…
One of the more subtle parts of storytelling is knowing what to say and when. In books, we use text to convey our message, but that text is made of context and subtext. Both are important for conveying meaning, but Read more…
I’m embarking on the journey of traditional publishing, and the first step, after having a polished manuscript, is deciding whether or not you want an agent. Unless you’re only submitting to small presses that accept manuscripts directly from authors, I’d Read more…