Every author started somewhere. Make today your starting day! The prospect of writing a book can be a daunting task. Yes, you may have an idea. You may even be really excited about that idea—playing out scenes or developing characters in your head...

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...

(Whether you're traditionally publishing or not!) As a nonfiction author, you know that you need to prepare a written proposal to be considered by a traditional publishing house. But, even if you are going to self-publish or work with a hybrid publisher...

Urgency is not unique to thrillers and not always a function of a fast pace. Urgency drives all fiction and a slow-moving passage can have you at the edge of your seat. Urgency may sit deep inside the subtext of a scene, manifest in a character’s motivation...