Fiction How-to

How to Cut Your Word Count

by Sabine Berlin The dreaded word cut! We’ve all been there and are with you in spirit! For starters, if you need to know the standard, accepted word counts of your genre, here’s a great article on the topic (pretty critical to getting picked up in traditional...

Conscious Language: Writing with Respect and Compassion

Guest post by Crystal Shelley Writers have many factors to keep in mind when trying to decide what words to put down on paper or type on a keyboard, such as their audience, message, and intent. Another important element to consider is how their language can affect...

Give a Little, Take a Little

Delivering—and Receiving—Negative Feedback in a Constructive Way by Sabine Berlin with Sandi Larsen Constructive feedback (often seen in the writer’s head as negative feedback) is a hard pill to swallow. Nobody wants to be told the story they’ve devoted hours, months,...
7 Steps for Hiring a Good Editor

7 Steps for Hiring a Good Editor

by Victoria Passey 1. Understand the different types of editing. There are several types of editing: content/developmental editing, substantive/deep-line editing, copyediting, and proofreading, as well as edits for style guides and fact-checking. Together, they create...

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The Fainting Damsel

The Fainting Damsel

Adding Emotion to Your Writing without the Melodrama by Amy Michelle Carpenter and Angela Woiwode Many writers struggle with making their writing shine and adding emotion without making it melodramatic. It can be tempting to rev up the drama in every scene to ensure...

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Kidlit: Writing for Young Children

Kidlit: Writing for Young Children

by Victoria Passey Stories are where many of us first learn to use our imagination and think outside ourselves. We learn to empathize, experiment, and build connections through the power of words. According to Jim Trelease, author of best-selling Read-Aloud Handbook,...

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Writing a Nonlinear Timeline

Writing a Nonlinear Timeline

by Emilee Newman Bowles with Angela Eschler, Adrianne Montoya, and Lindsay Flanagan Have you ever thought about time travel? What if we said it’s possible—well, sort of. We don’t have a DeLorean, and we’re not sure falling through Stonehenge can take you back in time,...

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Choosing Your Fiction Title

Choosing Your Fiction Title

by Marla Buttars Coming up with a title can make even veteran authors groan in agony. Don’t believe us? Check out some of these original titles we found in an article from The Huffington Post: All’s Well That Ends Well  sends a much different message than War and...

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Boost your confidence with our free author tools.
Feeling overwhelmed or unsure about your book project?
PHEW!