Twitter, Facebook, and other tools in the social media toolbox may seem overwhelming, especially if your goal is classic prose rather than 280-character tweets. If used strategically and efficiently, however, social media can raise your visibility...

Many authors choose to blog as way to connect with readers. Blogging is a time intensive activity but there are various tools that will help an author streamline the blogging process and blog more effectively. Planning tools Blogs are publications...

Authors need viable story ideas. But where to find them? In truth, story ideas are everywhere, but successful authors are like gem hunters: they keep the diamonds and toss the quartz. A good story idea has to be weighty enough to support a novel, and...

Given the difficult task of converting the novel The Orchid Thief into screenplay form, Charlie Kaufman defined adaptation by creating the quaint masterpiece known as Adaptation. By writing himself and his nonexistent twin into the film Kaufman was able...

Grammar can trip up even the best of us, but it doesn’t have to bore you to death. Remember, good grammar helps you express yourself more clearly and creatively. Here are a few refreshers for writers. Avoid the passive voice as if the devil himself...

In fiction, plot is defined as the series of events (action) that make up a story. Most plots follow a structure known as Freytag’s triangle, which has five basic elements: Exposition/Introduction Inciting Incident Rising Action Climax Denouement...

Urban fiction, also known as street lit, hip-hop lit, gansta lit, or ghetto lit, tells the story of life in the inner-city, generally with a gritty, dark tone. The plot shines a light on the harsh realities of life in the city, including hard subjects...

You just put the last period on the first draft of your manuscript. Now what? Resist the urge to go back to page 1 to start editing. You’ll get lost in details. Instead, edit with a plan that will guide you from fixing big picture issues like structure...