Writing Techniques

Trained fighter and author Carla Hoch discusses how to write scene with characters who are untrained for more realistic fighting sequences.

R.M. Romero offers six tips for writing contemporary ghost stories, with examples of how she incorporated them into the process of writing her new novel, The Ghosts of Rose Hill.

Bestselling author and practicing physician Freida McFadden shares eight things writers should know about writing head injuries in their own fiction, including whether a second head injury cures memory loss.

In this post, we answer the question of what are tropes in writing, and we look at a few examples to help show what tropes are and whether they're good or bad.

Bestselling author Robert Whitlow talks about how he combines writing what he knows with writing what he’s passion about—faith and law—and how his characters get to that crossroad.

Who says you need to write a mystery novel to have your characters solve one? Here, bestselling author Lian Dolan offers 5 tips for writing a search story.

Writing what you know doesn't necessarily mean puling scenes directly from your life—it can mean leaning into the subtleties of your lived experiences. Here, author Kris Spisak discusses how writing what she knew shaped her debut novel.

Award-winning novelist Carole Lawrence discusses how moral fits into storytelling, and how we’re constructing morals within the universe of our stories every time we sit down to write.

Trained fighter and author Carla Hoch explains the unassuming but all-important element of constructing every fight scene: knowing why it’s happening.

When comedy goes dark, it can turn gasps into chuckles. Here, author Jesse Q. Sutanto offers three tips on how to make murder funny in fiction.

You have the idea, now where to start? Author Diana Abu-Jaber offers four tips on how to begin your novel.

Author Amanda Elliot shares the importance of food in fiction and offers tips on how to start incorporating food into your own writing.

Award-winning author Erica Plouffe Lazure walks through everything a newspaper has to offer fiction writers—from the truly unbelievable to examining the full arc of a person’s life to help shape the lives of those on the page.

Feeling guilty is something we all can relate to, but what can that feeling do for our stories? Here, author Veronica Gutierrez shares four tips for writing about guilt in fiction.

Sudden humor in dramatic scenes can break the ice and offer levity to characters (and readers) that need it. Here, author Libby Hubscher shares how to bring humor into tough topics.

Bestselling author and brand strategist Matt Miksa offers three tips for writers who need a better book title.

Author Julia Brewer Daily discusses her hybrid approach of plotting and pantsing to maintain accuracy in historical fiction while also getting words down on the page.

Trained fighter and author Carla Hoch explains how everyday objects can and should become weapons of opportunity when your characters need them most.