BY ELIZABETH SIMS How do the most successful authors of our time construct their stories? The Hero's Adventure. So what is the Hero’s Adventure? You know it already, and you may even have elements of it in the story you’re working on. But I suspect you haven’t yet methodically and thoroughly appropriated it for...
BY ELIZABETH SIMS The expletive known in polite circles as “the f-word” was most famously used in a major novel, Norman Mailer’s The Naked and the Dead, published in 1948. Except it wasn’t. Let me explain.
Great writing begins with an appetite for life. Try these 8 approaches to get out of your comfort zone, break rules and reap rewards.
BY ELIZABETH SIMS How do great authors develop stunning narratives, break away from tradition and move the form of fiction forward? They take whatever basic idea they've got, then move it away from the typical. No matter your starting point—a love story, buddy tale, mystery, quest—you can do like the great innovators do: Bend...
BY ELIZABETH SIMS What’s in a character’s name? Everything. Here’s how you, the writer, can master the neglected art of moniker-making.
To stand out to the gatekeepers who hold the keys to publication, it’s not enough for your story to be good. Use these techniques to take your fiction to new heights.
Jor-El. Jondalar. Modir-Rettr. What makes for a solid sci-fi character’s name? Get genre-specific tips and tricks from novelist Elizabeth Sims.
Depicting convincing relationships could just be the key to writing better characters. Try these 8 ways to do it.
by Elizabeth Sims
You’ve got a great idea—but how can you tell if it’s weighty enough for a novel, or would work best as a short story? Here are five key factors to consider.
by Elizabeth Sims
BY ELIZABETH SIMS Fiction, like food, is an art and a craft. Here’s how to blend inspiration with technique and serve up an irresistible Chapter One.
Structural problems can sink a novel. Let’s look at 10 common plot problems and how to quickly fix them.
by Elizabeth Sims
BY ELIZABETH SIMS Still looking for examples of great Chapter Ones? WD Contributing Editor Elizabeth Sims shares more of her picks.
Forget formulaic junk-food mysteries. Infuse your story with all the ingredients of savory suspense.
by Elizabeth Sims
Carry the following with you almost everywhere you go.
by Elizabeth Sims
BY ELIZABETH SIMS Yes, your own efforts really can make an impact on your sales, one reader at a time. Here are 10 simple steps to word-of-mouth success.
by Elizabeth Sims
Never underestimate the power of suspense—in any genre. Use these surefire techniques to make your book one readers won’t be able to put down.
by Elizabeth Sims
A veteran author tells you, writer to writer, what getting published is really like—and confronts the seven biggest myths.
by Elizabeth Sims
Rough up your first draft to get to the good stuff.
by Elizabeth Sims
You've got an agent. You've got a deal. Is it worth it to fly to New York—on your own dime—for some face time? Here’s one writer’s advice.
by Elizabeth Sims
