YA author Annie Sullivan shares how she had to raise the stakes for everyone in her sequel to A Touch of Gold, why the writing process changed because of selling it on proposal, and more!
Hanna C. Howard shares that her path to success involved starting a new project (her YA fantasy novel, Ignite the Sun), how long it took to get a book contract after acceptance, her best advice for other writers, and more!
Readers love to be surprised, but they're not fans of being tricked or manipulated. Author John McNally shares his five tips for surprising your readers without it feeling like a trick.
Novelist Owen Fitzstephen shares how a quote from crime novelist Dashiell Hammett unlocked multiple crime novels, the silver lining of a moved publication date, his best tip for other writers, and more!
Readers are drawn to disaster stories, but they also yearn for hope in the eye of the storm. In this post, Karol Hoeffner shares her advice on creating a realistic disaster story and then infusing it with hope.
Learn when to use a moral vs. amoral vs. immoral with Grammar Rules from the Writer's Digest editors, including examples of each.
Jacob M. Appel, the author or editor of 19 books, including his most recent short fiction collection, Winter Honeymoon: Stories, shares how perseverance leads to writing success, what he believes all writers unconsciously try to do with their writing, and more.
Heather Griffin shares her tips on how to create supporting roles in fiction that come off as more than just a flavorless side dish. Rather, supporting roles can sometimes steal the show.
Learn bestselling author MarcyKate Connolly's five-step process for reworking a classic story, including her "fairy tale flip chart." While these lessons are sure to be a great fit for plotters, it should help out pantsers as well.
A strong premise often leads to a strong story. In this post, MG author Fleur Bradley shares her seven tips for developing a compelling middle-grade novel, including advice related to writing for the age group, the gatekeepers, and the kids in all of us.
According to literary agent Donald Maass, a protagonist is defined as the subject of a story, whereas a hero is someone with extraordinary qualities. Here, Dustin Grinnell offers examples of such extraordinary heroes from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World and dissects what it takes to write them.
Learn when to use role vs. roll with Grammar Rules from the Writer's Digest editors, including a few examples of correct usages.
Bestselling author J. Courtney Sullivan (The Engagements and Saints for All Occasions) chats about her latest novel (Friends and Strangers), the views of womanhood, telling secrets to strangers, and writing without self-doubt.
There are many techniques that historical fiction writers employ to build believable worlds that existed in the past and still beckon to modern readers. Here is a peak at 10 techniques used by author Rebecca D'Harlingue and how she used them.
John McNally, the author or editor of 18 books, including his most recent short story collection, The Fear of Everything, discusses what renewed his interest in the short story, what his goals in writing are, and more.
Plot and character development are important, but they can fall flat without a strong voice. Author Christina Kaye shares how to write a book filled with voice.
Bestselling author and creative writing instructor Chris Mooney shares his five rules for writing successful stories that they don't often teach in MFA programs.
Learn when to use foreword vs. forward with Grammar Rules from the Writer's Digest editors, including a few examples of correct usages.
In this post, McClinton shares her experience of winning the Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award, how she plans to move her writing goals further, and so much more!
In this post, debut author Carole Stivers shares how a family trip in the desert Southwest in 2003 resulted in her debut novel in 2020, what wrong assumption she had about agents, how Hollywood got looped in before the book was picked up by a publisher, and more!
All you have to do is write a great script and you're in. Think again. Jeanne Veillette Bowerman shares tips for developing the hustle to launch your screenwriting career from outside of Hollywood.
In this post, bestselling author MarcyKate Connolly shares how Shakespeare helped her figure out her most recent novel, why it took longer than she expected to write it, how she steps outside herself, and more!
In this post, middle-grade author Fleur Bradley shares why she enjoys mysteries, how illustrations impacted her most recent novel, her top tip for writers, and more!
In this post, bestselling author Chris Mooney shares why he knew his latest novel Blood World would be a big book, why he felt people might think he's deranged, what writers need to master the most to find success, and more!
