Last week we looked into episodic book series that focus on character, and now I want to turn to a lesser known series: anthology book series. I think these ones are largely overlooked, but they can be a lot of fun to write and read. Let’s dig into what they Read more…
I’ve been thinking about book series lately and how much isn’t said about them. Most people state they help increase sales because readers keep buying books, but that’s all you really hear. What about the craft behind writing series? To help bridge this gap in knowledge, I am going to Read more…
It’s no secret that stories change lives. Some authors set out to change the world with their words, and others do it unintentionally. Either way, your stories will affect readers’ lives. Regardless of what you think about our world, we can all agree that there needs to be more good Read more…
When you decide to write a book, there are several decisions to make, including how many point of view characters to use. Many authors prefer to tell a story from one POV, but often writers like to show different characters’ perspectives. The question is then: how many POV characters should Read more…
In every story, there is a section before the climax when your protagonist sinks to her lowest and is an emotional wreck. It’s your job to get the character out of her depression and ready to face the big event in the climax. Today, I want to discuss how to Read more…
It’s time for another Character Under a Microscope post where we look at character development on a deep level. Today, I want to talk about your characters and compassion. You may have heard of the phrases “pet the dog” or “save the cat.” These terms refer to a moment early Read more…
I love to read across genres, and lately I’ve been asking myself what all these books have in common that grabs my interest. It’s not just that they are “good books” as there are several of those out there I don’t enjoy. I’d say they all have intriguing plots and Read more…
Writers have many options for ways to get their words seen by the world. They can write novels, short stories, novellas, articles, etc. One of those outlets is serial fiction. While some newspapers and magazines still publish serials, most serial fiction is published online. Let’s look at serials and how Read more…
Today I want to talk about promises and payoffs in a story. I’ve talked around these concepts a few times, but I realized I haven’t actually dug into them by themselves. So, we’re going to discuss what promises and payoffs are, the main types, and how to use them effectively Read more…
I did a post a while back on the truth about writer’s block, the mental block when writers don’t know what to write. Recently, I was talking with some writers about being stuck and not writing, even though they had outlines ready. The problem wasn’t that they didn’t have ideas, Read more…