Character creation is one of the most difficult aspects of writing fiction. The author wants characters that fits the plot of the book, but are also real and with whom the reader can relate. We are all inspired by people we know or have known in our...

Read and then read some more. That is fantasy author Matthew Ballard's recommendation for new writers who are planning to write genre fiction. He strongly recommends reading what is currently selling in the genre in which you plan to write. Ask yourself...

Read and then read some more. That is fantasy author Matthew Ballard's recommendation for new writers who are planning to write genre fiction. He strongly recommends reading what is currently selling in the genre in which you plan to write. Ask yourself...

Humor lives in the gap between the ridiculous and the real. It’s the humorist who can wedge himself or herself firmly in that gap and tell the rest of the world what they find. It’s not a gift, it’s not innate, it’s something anyone can learn and use...

The word “Instagram” has a way of evoking a shiver of fear in a writer. Instagram? That’s visual media, not written. But, is it? In this recorded webinar, author and publisher L.E. Perez discusses how to get started and set up your Instagram to work...

Listening to other authors’ writing and editing processes can be helpful as writers learn what works best for them. Some authors plot, some discover the story as they go. Some authors edit at the end of chapters, some edit at the end of an act, and...

Dan Watanabe, Entertainment Expert and Media Arts Instructor, explains the differences between backward engineering a novel and a film project. Backward engineering a novel, says Watanabe, means a writer drafts the ending first and then writes the...

Public relations can be either a blessing or a nightmare, depending on how they are handled. When is the right time to hire a PR firm? Most PR experts agree that you should not to seek a PR firm when you’ve just begun to market your book. Rather, get...

One of the most confusing issues new writers seem to confront when trying to publish their new work is the ISBN. Authors are often unsure of how to use the ISBN (one number for each format or one for print and one for eBook regardless of how many ebook...