Plotting a book scares a lot of authors. Developing characters and planning a book outline intimidates a lot of writers as well. But, honestly, none of these things are scary. They're fun. Really. The key to plotting a book, or planning a book outline, if that is how...
I know you are here for some great and truly easy to use tips on how to write book blurbs that sell, but first, an admission... I have a degree in advertising. I worked for multiple newspapers helping small business owners develop ads and advertising campaigns. Then I...
Fequently, I have writing students who think they are writing omniscient point of view or think they want to write omniscient point of view. Most often, the point of view they have is really a kind of messed up third person limited or even the much-dreaded...
You are reading along, a scene ends a new one begins and... Wait... Where am I? Who am I with? WHAT IS HAPPENING? I'm lost... Have you ever had this experience? If so, that writer was guilty of not setting the scene in their story or as I sometimes call it, not...
Beats in Fiction Writing? Honestly, beats isn't a term I use a lot, but it is a term I hear a lot, so I thought it would be good to define what beats in fiction are and why they matter. Beats in Fiction Writing Defined According to Sandra Scofield in her book, The...
The more you read on writing, the more you realize most concepts go back to a few shared sources or shared ideas. Archetypes are one of those concepts. Both Joseph Campbell and Carl Jung discuss archetypes. They are basically a part of our collective unconsciousness....
There are many, many ways to plot a book. But, quite honestly, almost all of them... okay the good ones... all tie back in some way to The Hero's Journey. They may use different names for the steps or plot points. They may not ask you to come up with as many steps or...
What is The Hero's Journey? It depends on who you ask. To a writer, it's a plotting method. To fans of mythology and folklore, it's a narrative pattern that human storytellers have followed since we had human storytellers. Which brings us back to why writers use it...
One of the most frequent questions I get is "How do I plot a book?" The answer, honestly, is that there are tons of different ways successful writers plot (or don't plot) books. Personally, I am a strong believer in having some kind of a plot to guide you before you...
