(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...

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...

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...

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...

Simply put, sub-plots make books more interesting. Although creating sub-plots adds a challenge to the writing process, they are an indispensable ingredient in great storytelling. Sometimes they are not interwoven into the main story, but most of the...

When a group of filmmakers come together to map out a new project before they go into production, they go through a process called “story boarding.” They set out, shot-by-shot, all the action, as well as the camera angles they want to capture while telling...

The sheer volume of information an active author will collect when developing story after story can easily become overwhelming. Here are some ways to better organize your research materials. One absolute necessity is to keep both a hard copy and a...

The old adage of “strength in numbers” holds true for authors. Feedback will undoubtedly strengthen a book, which is why successful authors seek feedback at every stage of book development. It will help the author create a book that is clear, rich, and...