Rub Two Sticks Together to Create a Spark: A Scout’s Strategy for Starting a Story
How do you start a story when your creative spark has dimmed? Try rubbing two ideas together.
Where Do Characters Come From?
Author Mitch Silver discusses how he and other thriller masters came up with the characters who have led their greatest story ideas—and how you can create great characters too.
5 Lessons Writers Can Learn from Ferdinand the Bull
The timeless children’s classic, The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf, was written on a Sunday afternoon in 1935. Here's what writers can learn from it.
The Screenwriter’s Toolbox: Two Techniques Novelists Can Borrow from Film When Writing Opening Scenes
Learn about two writing techniques inspired by screenwriters that you can employ when writing opening scenes for novels.
Using Physicality to Bring Your Characters (And Your Fiction) to Life
One of the most common challenges writers face in the character development process is conveying their personalities (even those of side characters) in a naturally complex and believable way. Here, Joan Dempsey dives into the heart of a critical element that can help you flesh out—no pun intended—your characters and enrich...
7 Ways to Create a Killer Opening Line For Your Novel
Writing a dynamite first line that captivates readers and encourages them to read on is difficult. Here are several different approaches to writing a killer opening line (and examples from classic novels to accompany each).
Try These 30-Minute Writing Challenges
Set aside 30 minutes, choose one of the following exercises and, as Tim Gunn from “Project Runway” would say, “Make it work!”
7 Creative Writing Prompts To Spark Your Writing
Man I hate writer's block. We all get stuck in a writing rut from time to time. Sometimes it gets so bad for me that I can't even come up with a clever status update for Facebook—for Facebook! If my creative muscle is having difficulty piecing together a one-sentence quip, how...
5 Ways to Come Up With Great Story Ideas
Here are five ways that will help pump up your creativity muscle and build story ideas that will keep you writing for hours on end.