Writing Techniques
Greg Russo: On Writing a Screenplay Based on a Video Game
Professional screenwriter Greg Russo discusses the joy and challenge of converting a popular video games series into a screenplay and the balance of enticing a new audience while honoring a franchise's fans.
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!
Tension in Poetry: The Hidden Art of Line-Writing
Writer and editor Matthew Daddona explains how to easily create tension in your poems and how that adds weight to your message.
Too Seen: The Intimacy of Copy Editing
Novelist A.E. Osworth discusses their experience working with a copyeditor for their novel We Are Watching Eliza Bright and how the experience made them feel Witnessed.
Writing Mistakes Writers Make: Not Knowing When to Shelve a Project
The Writer's Digest team has witnessed many writing mistakes over the years, so we started this series to help identify them for other writers (along with correction strategies). This week's writing mistake is not knowing when to shelve a project.
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.
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.
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.
Writing a Book with a Friend: How to Merge Styles Every Step of the Way
In this article, Kim Hooper and Meredith Resnick discuss what their co-writing process looked like and provide practical tips to consider when you're thinking of partnering with another writer to create a nonfiction book.
Why Did I Write a Novel About Death?
What draws an author to a particular subject? In this article, novelist Richard Alther discusses why he was drawn to discussing death in his latest novel Bedside Matters.
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.
4 Tips on Writing an Epic Fantasy That's Also a Page Turner
Fantasy author Sarah Beth Durst gives her top 4 tips for writing an epic fantasy that engages readers and creates a logical and impossible world.
Amp up Your Story Impact: Pushing Against and Leaning In
Founder of FoxPrint Editorial and bestselling author Tiffany Yates Martin explains the pros and cons of increasing tension and showing character arcs.
Writing All the Times: 6 Things to Ask Yourself About Your Time-Travel Story
Bestselling author Nicole Galland gives genre writers 6 expert tips to ground the time travel in their novels for the best reader experience.
FightWrite™: Fight Scenes and Dialogue
In this article, author and trained fighter Carla Hoch answers a writer's question about how to handle dialogue during a fight scene, including pros and cons to having dialogue at all.
5 Tips for Evoking Emotion in Writing
Bestselling author Rebecca Yarros coaches writers on how to create believable emotion in this article.
7 Tips for Writing Police Procedurals That Readers Love
Mystery and crime novelist Russ Thomas explains how best to create a police procedural that will hook your reader and keep them coming back for more.
3 Tips for Writing with a Co-Author
Shakil Ahmad provides the top 3 things he learned while co-authoring the book Wild Sun with his brother Ehsan.
From the Practical to the Mystic: 7 Tips for Writing Historical Fiction
Bestselling author Erika Robuck provides her top 7 tips for creating an engaging historical fiction novel.
Crafting Animal Characters like an Expert
Whether your work-in-progress features a witch's familiar, a talking animal sidekick, or a companion pet, WD editor Moriah Richard gives you the basics on how to create an animal character.
On Writing Representation in Fiction
Author Sonya Lalli explains what it was like to write characters whose journeys mirror the author's and how other authors can let go of the burden of representation.
5 Tips on Making the British Royals Into Appealing Fictional Characters
Novelist Wendy Holden explains how you can best tackle characterizing the British Royal Family.
5 Features for Writing Psychological Thrillers: A Checklist for Writers
Bestselling author Sebastian Fitzek shares his top 5 tips for writing a successful psychological thriller.
The Pleasures and Perils of Writing Historical Fiction
Romance author Eva Leigh explains the complications in writing a historical romance and provides tips for how to do it well.