Sherlock Holmes will outwit Moriarty, Elizabeth Bennett doesn’t give two cents what Lady Catherine de Bourgh thinks, and Harry Potter will take down Voldemort. Two of the most important characters in any story are the protagonist and the antagonist....

In every novel, you fight dragons, lawyers, sci-fi sorcerers, bad relationships, or other evil. Yet writers often forget to prepare for their true nemesis: bad grammar. Here are a few tips to help you make readers take your book seriously. Subject...

Trade shows, conferences, conventions, and other large-scale events offer opportunities to interact directly with a large number of potential book buyers. While this kind of event marketing could be a valuable marketing investment for you, you’ll need...

Film can be an extraordinary vehicle to learn about storytelling says award-winning author and film critic Sam Staley (SR Staley). Screenwriters have the challenging job of telling a comprehensive story within a specific structure and set amount of...

Getting traditionally published is difficult, but it’s much more likely to happen with a literary agent. In fact, it’s almost impossible to be traditionally published by a large house nowadays without an agent. Finding an agent is difficult, but keeping...

We all have the same goal as fiction writers: to transport our readers inside the pages so that they feel like a part of the story. Characters are an extremely important part of making that happen. And characters don’t just transport the readers—they...

Plotting a novel before writing it isn’t a part of everyone’s process. However, determining the structure of a story is vital for every author, whether a plotter or a “pantser.” Without a solid structure, a story will lose a reader, no matter how compelling...

Each writer’s path to becoming an author is unique, but there are often similarities between the various journeys. It can be helpful to hear other authors' stories to get advice and encouragement. Howard V. Hendrix, author and English professor, explains...

The process of getting your work published can be confusing and overwhelming. There are many paths available to authors today, and a large amount of publishing companies and service providers, some more reputable than others. Per author AJ Baker, he...