Writing Craft
Start your Story Strong: 6 Strategies to Write a Great First Line
Starting a new story or novel is one of the most exciting parts of writing…and also one of the most challenging. There’s so much to think about: How to “hook” your reader? Where or when does your story start? What characters should be on the first page? These are huge decisions that will dictate the…
Read MoreHow to Write Chapter 1: Include the 4 C's and a Q
[originally published 11/2014; updated 5/2021] Starting a new project is often the most exciting stage. As creative writers, we get to put our imaginations to work dreaming up witty and fun characters, fantastic settings, conflicts that would destroy anyone but our stalwart protagonist, and plot twists that readers never see coming. We get it all…
Read MoreSome Useful Plot Structure Definitions
When I first found my way back to writing after putting it aside for far too long (during my entire twenties and thirties), I discovered a whole world of “writing terms” that I’d never heard when I wrote as a young girl and teen. As a reader (and a woman with two degrees in English…
Read MoreShow don’t tell: adding descriptive details to strengthen your writing
If you’re a writer you’ve probably heard the phrase “show don’t tell” or add more details? But, what the heck does that mean, why is it important, and how do you do it without turning your writing into a long annoying, flowery piece? Let’s start with the first question. Show don’t tell means that you…
Read MoreLose “Said” & Try Action Tags in Dialogue
Dialogue is one of the most fun parts of a story to write. We can really get in our characters heads while writing dialogue. It’s our opportunity to let our characters speak, to share who they are. We can also use dialogue to develop our characters not only through their words but also through their…
Read MoreWriting Dialogue: How to Develop (and Hear) your Characters’ Voices
I’ve been hard at work on my latest novel and am enjoying getting the characters developed and on the page. I always have a pretty good grasp on my characters by the time I start writing because I definitely fall into the category of “planner” when it comes to writing my novels. Never could I…
Read MoreExplode Moments with Details
One of the hardest parts of writing fiction is to figure out how much detail to put into a scene. Too much, and your reader gets bored and starts skimming until they get to the action-y parts. Too little, and your reader can’t adequately picture what’s going on. You gotta be Goldilocks and get it…
Read MoreHow to Create Your Own Writer’s Emotion Resource Guide
You’ve probably heard the advice to “write what you know,” and if this whole idea confused you, you’re not alone. If you can only write “what you know,” then how does John Green write so convincingly and beautifully about dying from cancer? He’s still alive and well, and I don’t think he’s had cancer. Or,…
Read MoreMy #1 Tip for Becoming a Better Writer + a Video!!
Have you ever had this experience: you had a great idea for a story, so you spent an afternoon or a week or two, getting it down on paper. Then, you read through it, but it didn’t seem to work so well, so you revised it. Maybe you asked your mom or good friend for…
Read MoreThe Beloved and Oft-Misused Semi-colon
I’m not sure why it is that teen writers love the semi-colon, but they do; however, despite their love for it, they often misuse the poor thing. I don’t think this is all their fault. For whatever reason, at least where I teach, students have a semi-colon “learning gap.” They seem to be either terrified of…
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