Fiction How-to

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,...

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,...

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...
Writing Software—Which is Best?

Writing Software—Which is Best?

by Annette Lyon Q. What is the best software to write with? A. USA-Today best-selling author says Scrivener for writing and Microsoft Word for editing.   Writing Time-Saver and Organization Heaven Annette Lyon: I use Scrivener mostly for drafting and revision....

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How to Write Fight Scenes

How to Write Fight Scenes

By Emilee Newman Bowles Fight scenes are some of the hardest scenes to follow in a book, and so they are some of the hardest to write well. Remember that you’re not writing a screenplay, and readers will get bored with page after page of kicks and punches—or they’ll...

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How to Add Humor to Your Book

How to Add Humor to Your Book

By Emilee Newman Bowles Waka-waka! Humor has a place in every genre, even if you’re not writing comedy. Using subtle humor can lighten weighty nonfiction topics and engage readers more. And more engaging books could mean more "checks written by editors." But comedy in...

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Romance vs. Women’s Fiction

Romance vs. Women’s Fiction

Which Do You Mean to Write? by Marla Buttars Cue the lights. Hear the screaming crowd take sides. Because today, people, we’re covering…(drumroll) Romance verssssuuus… Women’s fiction! Okay, while that may sound like a bad episode of WWE, romance and women’s fiction...

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How to Add Humor to Your Book

How to Add Humor to Your Book

By Emilee Newman Bowles Waka-waka! Humor has a place in every genre, even if you’re not writing comedy. Using subtle humor can lighten weighty nonfiction topics and engage readers more. And more engaging books could mean more "checks written by editors." But comedy in...

read more
Romance vs. Women’s Fiction

Romance vs. Women’s Fiction

Which Do You Mean to Write? by Marla Buttars Cue the lights. Hear the screaming crowd take sides. Because today, people, we’re covering…(drumroll) Romance verssssuuus… Women’s fiction! Okay, while that may sound like a bad episode of WWE, romance and women’s fiction...

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