Don’t write another cliché novel or use clichés in your novel (here are some cliche examples)! Learn what to avoid from 179 Ways to Save a Novel by Peter Selgin. A writer’s job is to write stories—not to steal or borrow them and, with a coat of fresh paint, pawn them off as original....
Are you thinking about writing a mystery novel? Before you begin writing, create a plan or outline for your story. Then figure out what you want your villain to be like. What type of crime will he/she commit? Discover how a villain might justify a crime and the importance of planning from Hallie Ephron’s...
Are you in the middle of writing your story and wondering how to write a scene that indicates a turning point? Learn about turning points and how to show them within your story from Laurie Alberts, author of Showing & Telling. Turning points in the action or the character’s emotions must be rendered in...
Are you thinking of writing a romance novel or in the planning stages of writing one? Learn what conflict is and how to use it in your romance novel. Today’s tip of the day comes from On Writing Romance by Leigh Michaels. What Is Conflict? Conflict is the difficulty between the hero and heroine...
Are you done writing your novel or book? Are you eager to share it with family and friends first before getting a professional manuscript critique? Learn what questions to ask your prospective reviewers with today’s tip of the day from the Novelist’s Boot Camp by Todd A. Stone, an award-winning author, screenwriter, former Army...
Is your goal is to launch a new career for yourself as a copywriter or to improve your copywriting skills? Breaking into Copywriting, a new course from Writers Digest University, can fuel your creative desires.
The most disheartening place to be and feel as a writer is stuck. And the most possible place to be is in motion—moving toward our goals. At every turn, we have a choice in how we negotiate the demands of our lives with our own expectations for our writing practice. And no one is...
Do you want to write a novel? In addition to creating a solid plot, you are also going to need a strong concept for your novel. Wondering how to conceptualize your story? Todd A. Stone, author of the Novelist’s Boot Camp, shares essential elements for developing a story’s concept. Developing A Story’s Concept One...
If you’re interested in breaking the mold with your character, there is no single criterion for a bitch. However, you might want to consider making several of her dominant traits negative or what society has typically not expected of females. For example, her traits might include being manipulating, selfish, cunning, power-seeking, or vengeful. Or,...
Are you someone who works full-time but dreams of becoming a published author someday? If so, today’s tip of the day is for you. Taken from Writer With a Day Job by Áine Greaney, you’ll learn how to overcome the challenges of daily life and ways to incorporate writing into your everyday routine. You...
Do you want to become a published writer, author, or freelancer? Buy The Step-By-Step Guide to Getting Published and get the tools you need to achieve your writing goals.
The following excerpt is from The Art of War For Writers by James Scott Bell. In the book, you’ll find exercises, tactics, and strategies for fiction writers. Today’s tip of the day is Tactic #27: Test your premise to prove it worthy. Decide Your Book’s Premise Editors and agents are all looking for the...
If you are pondering whether or not you can launch a writing career and be a mom, today’s tip of the day is for you. Christina Katz, author of Writer Mama, shares these tips for freelance writing from chapter two. Freelancing teaches you valuable lessons about your business strengths and weaknesses while helping you...
If you are writing a novel for the first time, or simply beginning a new one, From First Draft to Finished Novel can guide you along the process. Throughout the book, you'll discover novel writing tips, get step-by-step instruction, and improve your writing skills with editing and writing exercises.
In order to succeed as a professional writer, you must be able to set and meet deadlines. If you are looking for time-management tools to help you stay on track with your writing goals, read today’s tip of the day from The Productive Writer by Sage Cohen. Meet Your Deadlines With The Right Time-Management...
No matter what type of writing you do–fiction, nonfiction, or freelance–you should expect to revise your work. Learn four essential tips for revising your work from Christina Katz, author of The Writer’s Workout. When you are a professional writer, you spend at least half of your time rewriting, likely even more time than you...
Are you new to freelance writing or perhaps having trouble selling your work to editors? Today’s tip of the day can help. Kelly James Enger, author of Writer For Hire, explains the importance of writing a query letter and gives an example of one. When you think successful freelancer, what skill first comes to...
Discover insider secrets for selling a novel from literary agent Irene Goodman. You'll get pro tips on selling a novel, eight reasons why your novel may be rejected, and why it's important to know the genres of writing before you start writing.
Joseph Bates, author of The Nighttime Novelist, shares tips for editing and proofreading a novel or book. Creating A System For Editing & Proofreading Revision is really about seeing your book as a whole–recognizing patterns you didn’t notice before, and reconciling any disparate parts into a unified whole. The best way to accomplish this...
Your story’s opener is your one opportunity to capture an editor’s or agent’s attention. Learn how to avoid the critical mistakes (such as providing too much backstory) that lead to rejection and write a great beginning for your story. Today’s tip of the day, taken from Hooked: Write Fiction That Grabs Readers At Page...
Author of The Breakout Novelist, Donald Maass, discusses writing scenes in today’s tip of the day. He explains the importance of setting goals for each scene with an example from George R.R. Martin’s book, A Storm of Swords. Most instruction in writing scenes begins with this sound advice: Send your character into the scene...
The Beginning Writer's Answer Book covers everything from how to get started in writing to finding an agent and getting published. No matter what type of writer you are--fiction, nonfiction, or freelance--you'll find practical writing advice to help advance your career.
The path to becoming a published author is full of twists and turns. No matter what stage of the writing process you are in or how busy your schedule is, you should always strive to get better and leave room for improvement. Below, author Aine Greaney talks about the importance of writing daily and...
You’ve landed an agent. Now what? You’re probably wondering what a literary agent does and does not do and how they can help you. Discover the truth about what literary agents actually do for authors from today’s writing tip. This excerpt from Your First Novel discusses the author-agent relationship. What Does a Literary Agent...
Writing takes commitment, self-discipline, and desire. Don’t let other distractions get in the way of your writing goals–set aside time every day to write. When you are tempted to make up an excuse as to why you can’t write today, stop yourself. Only you can write the rest of that chapter you’re working on...
