Reading Time: 5 minutes When you’re just getting started on writing your first book, it’s important to gain some perspective on what can feel like an overwhelming task – producing the first draft. When you’re a first-timer, you don’t have the hindsight that second-timers have. But this article will give you the inside scoop on what’s important when working … Read More
Should You Write What You Know in Your Fantasy Novel?
Reading Time: 5 minutes One of the most common pieces of advice writers hear early on is to write what you know. Different writers react differently to this advice when they first hear it. For many, the initial reaction is negative. This is especially the case with people interested in writing a fantasy novel. After all, by definition you’re writing … Read More
The First Sentence and Last Sentence of Your Novel
Reading Time: 5 minutes Completing a novel necessarily means you’ll be writing many, many sentences. But there are people who rightfully point out that the first sentence is arguably the single most important sentence of all your novel writing efforts. No pressure, right? And then there’s the last sentence as well, which many believe ranks close behind your first … Read More
Writing Dialogue in Your Fantasy Novel
Reading Time: 5 minutes Writing good dialogue is an essential piece of your fantasy novel puzzle. It’s also one area where new writers tend to fall short. In this article you’ll learn why good dialogue is so important, as well as some key guidelines to make sure you get the basics right from the start. What Dialogue Does for … Read More
Magic, Psychic Powers, and Supernatural Phenomena in Your Fantasy Novel
Reading Time: 5 minutes Before you begin writing in all the magic, psychic powers and other supernatural phenomena into your fantasy novel, take some time to think through these elements. Above all else, even though fantasy is by definition about the impossible, you want it all to seem as real and believable as possible to keep your readers engaged. … Read More
6 Steps to Balancing Parenting and Writing
Reading Time: 6 minutes You are a writer, striving to be a published author of fiction. You also are a parent. How do you do both well? Can you juggle a serious commitment to a writing career while also being a great mom or dad? You can do it all by following six relatively simple steps. Picture this. You … Read More
4 Tips to Help a Reader Visualize an Environment
Reading Time: 6 minutes Tip #1—Remove Passive Sentence Constructions. A novel comes alive when a reader mentally lives inside it. However we write we want to do whatever we can to get a reader engaged and keep them immersed. When our writing uses too many passive sentence constructions, it can strip a novel of life and energy. Environmental descriptions … Read More
How to use the “Snowflake Method” to Make Your Novel a One-of-a-Kind
Reading Time: 6 minutes Similar to writing, everybody has their own style of planning their novel. Some don’t even bother to plan at all and prefer just throwing everything on the page as it comes. For some writers, planning is an interesting step in the process that allows them to explore several aspects of their story without committing to … Read More
Seven Tips for Creating a Personalized Writing Schedule
Reading Time: 6 minutes Finding time in your busy day to write can be difficult whether you’re a career writer or someone who writes for fun. When you’re constantly trying to squeeze in your sessions amidst your crazy life, it can be difficult to let your ideas flow freely and you may wind up spending most of your writing … Read More
6 Tips on Naming and Creating Believable Characters
Reading Time: 6 minutes It’s time. You’ve finally decided to write your novel. You’ve envisioned your story and you’re ready to bring it to life. If you’re at this stage in the writing process, it’s important to consider your next steps. Every choice you make from this point on should be decided strategically and methodically. No pressure! At this … Read More