Dialogue by definition is the part of the storytelling process in which your characters communicate. It’s a delicate balance that they must walk when speaking in this type of setting. In real life people ramble on about things just to converse, but in...

“Show me; don’t tell me.” It’s something beginning writers are told over and over again, and it’s good advice. It’s not enough to hear it once, though; you have to remember it every time you sit down to write. Otherwise, if you’re writing about three...

Many authors struggle to begin novels. Should the characters come first or should the story come first? The good news is that either start will work. The important part of this equation is that both pieces are needed to create a viable story idea. You...

When looking for weak spots in your stories, the ability to patch them up quickly and easily is more available in fiction than when you are writing about historical or non-fictional events. That’s because in fiction you have a creative license to rewrite...

A sub-plot is an important tool for adding depth to any novel. As you sort out the storyline for your novel, it’s important that you enrich your main plot with these elements. Let’s, however, begin with a helpful definition of a sub-plot: Sub-plots are...

What is a Mystery Novel? Going as far back to the Sherlock Holmes series in the late 1800s, the mystery novel has been a popular genre for a long time. These novels are centered around a crime (usually a murder) where the protagonist is an investigator...

The process of creativity is mysterious, wonderful, and magical. Ideas come at the strangest times and in the most incomplete pieces. People tend to look at someone else’s finished movie and say, “I can never do that.” It’s like a giant shopping mall...

Before we explore outlining methods, let's get something out of the way: not all writers use outlines and that's perfectly fine. Winging it, or "pantsing," is a valid writing method, especially for fiction writers. However, many writers benefit from...