Writing Techniques
6 Ways To Fight Your Inner Critics
For many writers, self-critique gets in the way of making much progress. Here, author Julia Crouch shares 6 ways to fight your inner critics.
Writing Allegory: A Convenient Place to Hide
Where realistic fiction felt both too restrictive and too revealing for author Susan Speranza’s transition from poetry to fiction, she turned to allegory. Here, she shares examples of famous allegories throughout history and how allegorical writing helped shape her novel, Ice Out.
The Writer's Digest Interview: Marlon James
Booker Prize–winning author Marlon James talks about mythology and world-building in his character-driven epic Moon Witch, Spider King, the second book in his Dark Star Trilogy in this interview from the March/April 2022 issue of Writer's Digest.
Managing Point of View: Mythbusting
In the first of this three-part series, novelist and WD columnist Sharon Short breaks down 7 of the most common myths about choosing which POV is right for your story.
Stay Thirsty, My Friends: On Freeing Writing From the Weight of Perfection
Internationally bestselling author Sarah McCoy reclaims the necessary messiness that comes with the writing process and discusses why writers strive for perfection when perfection doesn’t exist.
Shame and Success: Blending Artistic Expression With Social Media
With social media being so pervasive in our lives, the relationship artists have with it is both inspiring and overwhelming. Here, author Francesca Giacco discusses how social media has played a part in her life and in her new novel, Six Days in Rome.
How Do Characters Who Don’t Know How to Fight, Fight? (FightWrite™)
Trained fighter and author Carla Hoch discusses how to write scene with characters who are untrained for more realistic fighting sequences.
6 Tips for Writing a Contemporary Ghost Story
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.
8 Tips for Writing About Head Injuries in Fiction
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.
What Are Tropes in Writing?
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.
At the Crossroads of Faith, Law, and Writing
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.
5 Tips for Writing a Search Story
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.
How Writing What I Knew Shaped My Debut Novel
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.
The Moral Universe: The Importance of Morals in Storytelling
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.
The Why of the Fight: FightWrite™
Trained fighter and author Carla Hoch explains the unassuming but all-important element of constructing every fight scene: knowing why it’s happening.
3 Tips on How To Make Murder Funny in Fiction
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.
4 Tips on How To Begin a Novel
You have the idea, now where to start? Author Diana Abu-Jaber offers four tips on how to begin your novel.
How (And Why) To Write About Food in Fiction
Author Amanda Elliot shares the importance of food in fiction and offers tips on how to start incorporating food into your own writing.
(Almost) Everything I Know About Writing Fiction I Learned From the Newspapers
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.
4 Tips for Writing About Guilt in Fiction
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.
How To Bring Humor To Tough Topics
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.
Need a Better Book Title?
Bestselling author and brand strategist Matt Miksa offers three tips for writers who need a better book title.
How to Maintain Accuracy Across Multiple Plot Lines in Historical Fiction
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.
Using Weapons of Opportunity: FightWrite™
Trained fighter and author Carla Hoch explains how everyday objects can and should become weapons of opportunity when your characters need them most.