Genre
Planting Clues: Red Herrings That Fool but Don't Frustrate Your Readers
Want to know how to keep your readers engaged and entertained with your mystery novel? Let these six tips from thriller author Kris Calvin guide you!
Kristin Beck: On Writing Quickly and Publishing Slowly
Debut novelist Kristin Beck shares what it was like to write her historical fiction novel Courage, My Love and why she was so thankful for a slow publishing process.
Natalie Lund: On Grief and Unanswered Questions in YA Fiction
YA author Natalie Lund shares how she handles the subject of death for a YA audience in her latest novel The Sky Above Us.
Bridget Foley: On Writing Psychologically Potent Metaphors
Novelist Bridget Foley explains the seed that grew into her latest book Just Get Home and how she stayed hopeful in the face of rejection.
Stephanie Dray: On Writing Women's Legacies
Bestselling and award-winning author Stephanie Dray shares how she selects the historical figures that she features in her novels and how she came to see the whole of her character's legacies.
Take Two: 3 Mistakes Writers Make in Act I
Without a solid foundation, our stories flounder. Jeanne Veillette Bowerman shares insights into the three mistakes writers make when creating the first act.
David Jackson Ambrose: On Balancing Magic and Practicality
Novelist David Jackson Ambrose discusses the initial themes he wanted to explore in his latest novel, A Blind Eye, what the editing process was like, and how his books always surprise him in the end.
4 Tips for Writing Engaging Frenemies
No matter what genre you write, if you're planning to write characters as frenemies, you'll need to know how to do it well. Bestselling romance author Lorraine Heath shares her top tips.
Luke X. Cunningham: A Writer's Hopes for Their Readers
Emmy-nominated writer Luke X. Cunningham explains how he came to write a middle-grade mystery novel and what he hopes for the kids who read his book.
Historical Fiction: Write What You Know, or Know What You Write
Historical novelist David Gilman tackles the age-old question—how can genre writers best bring their subjects to life?
Anna Lee Huber: On Escapism and Historical Fiction
Award-winning author Anna Lee Huber discusses the particular pain of writing during the 2020 lockdown and how she views historical fiction as a form of escape.
How I Taught Myself to Write in English
Novelist Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau describes what it was like to transition from writing in French (her native language) to publishing her debut YA novel in English.
Donna Freitas: Exploring Social Consequences in Fiction
Novelist Donna Freitas explains how she came to write her first adult novel, The Nine Lives of Rose Napolitano, and why she wants this book to be provocative.
FightWrite™: Animals in Fight Scenes
In this article, author and trained fighter Carla Hoch answers a writer's question about how to handle including an animal as a battle partner, even if that animal doesn't exist in our known world.
David Gilman: On the Accuracy of Historical Fiction
Award-winning author and screenwriter David Gilman discusses the joys and challenges of writing the seventh book in his Master of War series, Shadow of the Hawk.
5 Tips for Writing a Spy Thriller Novel
Novelist and former senior intelligence analyst Alma Katsu shares her wisdom for creating a realistic and gripping spy thriller novel.
Zadie Smith + Nick Laird: The WD Interview
Nick Laird and Zadie Smith talk about how teaching affects their writing, craft insights they’ve discovered, and how staying off Twitter has made them better writers in this November/December 2020 Writer's Digest interview.
Building Better Worlds: Select or Create Fantastical Animals
In this article, WD editor Moriah Richard guides genre writers through the selection and creation of fantastical animals for their world-building.
Lorraine Heath: Romance Without Outlines
Bestselling romance author Lorraine Heath explains why she doesn't outline her novels before she writes them and how that affected her revisions on her latest release, Scoundrel of My Heart.
Writing a Romance Series That Keeps Readers Coming Back for More
So, you want to write a romance series. How do you know from the first book that you've hooked readers enough to follow you to book two? Bestselling romance author Michelle Major has some tips.
Alma Katsu: On Where to Put the Big Reveal in a Thriller
Novelist Alma Katsu discusses what it was like to write her latest thriller Red Widow and how she made the difficult decision of where to place the novel's big reveal.
Elly Griffiths: The Mystery of Multiple Points of View
Award-winning novelist Elly Griffiths explains what it was like to write her latest crime novel, The Postscript Murders, using multiple points of view.
20 Authors Share Tips on Writing Historical Fiction Novels That Readers Love
20 authors share tips on writing historical fiction novels that readers love, covering topics related to research, the balance between telling the truth and telling a story, breathing life into characters, and much more.
14 Techniques to Write Emotional Truth to Engage Readers: Why It Works and How in Successful Storytelling
Why is engaging the reader's emotions so important? YA author and award-winning journalist Robin Farmer lays out the answer in this article.