There’s a lot of agony over writing the first draft, and even more over reading it. But what’s the real purpose of the first draft of your story and what does it need to accomplish? What are the best tips for writing a good first draft? You may have heard that the first draft is […]
4 reasons why you’re writing the first draft Read More »
Learning to write great stories is a process, and a part of that process is making mistakes that you can learn from later on. Or, if you’re lucky, someone else has already made the mistakes and they show you how you can avoid them yourself. If you’ve already made some of these common beginner writer
Beginner writer mistakes I made (so you don’t have to) Read More »
If you’re still struggling to figure out what your story is about, I’ve got some great news for you: just flesh out your hero and everything else will fall into place. Okay, you still have to figure out what that “everything else” is, but the fact is that none of that will matter if there
How to write a story that works: Start with your character Read More »
I’ll go and admit it right off the bat: I’m not a crime fiction enthusiast. I don’t read detective novels and I don’t watch Scandinavian Noir films with grumpy Swedish police officers solving grisly murders. And yet, I couldn’t wait to get my paws on Where Ravens Roost by Karin Nordin earlier this year and
Author interview with crime writer KARIN NORDIN Read More »
What to do when you’ve got an idea for your story but still no actual story? You start brainstorming story ideas, and you do that by actually jotting down all the ideas you have instead of letting them sit in your brain doing nothing. If you don’t know where to start writing a book, you
How to brainstorm story ideas for your novel Read More »
Subscription boxes are such a fun and easy way to try new hobbies and activities without having to spend time doing research or shopping every month, and they also make thoughtful gifts for people in your life. There are subscription boxes for literally every kind of people, but here we’re going to look at the
Guide for the best subscription boxes for creative people Read More »
When we talk about story settings, seasons are often underused. Even if you live somewhere like me where you get to experience all four of them, you might still need tips for using seasons in writing. If so, keep reading! Story setting can almost be like a character by itself, but our environment is one
Using seasons in writing [STORY SETTING TIPS] Read More »
How do you write a believable story when your premise is unbelievable? I re-watched Legally Blonde a few weeks ago and I came across a real gold nugget for storytellers, and so I decided to start this new blog series for QUICK STORYTELLING TIPS. Related: The best books about writing fiction – Begin your story
Making your story believable – what you can learn from Legally Blonde [QUICK TIPS] Read More »
As much as I love fiction, I sometimes have long periods of time where I can only make myself read nonfiction. It’s unfortunate, but I’d rather read something than just wait for motivation to read fiction again. And while you definitely need to read fiction if you want to be a good fiction-writer, you can
How can nonfiction make you a better fiction writer Read More »
As a person who has grappled with her mental health through her life, I’ve experienced many facets of living with mental illness. At the same time I’ve had to see many portrayals of mental illness in fiction, and much of it doesn’t just annoy me as a “mentally ill person” but also as a writer.
Writing about mental illness? This is what I want you to know Read More »