A roundup of revision tips

Posted on 03/31/2020 at 11:00 AM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

Organization — it's not just for your house during the safer-at-home movement. Creative writing mentor Rosie O'Neill shared four ways...

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: Editing, Joanna Penn, Plot / narrative

C.S. Lakin: Give all your characters a job

Posted on 03/12/2020 at 02:00 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

Among the aspects of filmmaking that apply well to writing a book is the use of characters. Specifically, says C.S....

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: C.S. Lakin / Live Write Thrive, Characters, Plot / narrative

C.S. Lakin: Your story can't stand on a character alone

Posted on 03/08/2020 at 12:00 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

C.S. Lakin and many other novelists have seen their writing process begin with the image of one particular character. As...

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: C.S. Lakin / Live Write Thrive, Characters, Plot / narrative

Don't make these mistakes with your flashbacks

Posted on 02/25/2020 at 11:00 AM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

Flashbacks, whether they come in a memoir or a novel, can enhance a reader’s understanding of a character or the...

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: Jane Friedman, Plot / narrative

Consider summarizing your book's chapters

Posted on 02/24/2020 at 03:28 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

Editor and writer Katherine Pickett once heard a friend say that chapter summaries suck the life out of a story....

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: Plot / narrative

Louise Harnby: Are you layering your story too deeply?

Posted on 02/09/2020 at 12:00 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

When your story is told through third-person limited point-of-view, consider looking at how many layers the reader must dive through....

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: Editing, Louise Harnby, Plot / narrative

Zara Altair: Know your character's context

Posted on 01/29/2020 at 03:00 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

Vivid, developed characters are a key factor in how compelling your story is. But don’t add characters just because you’ve...

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: Characters, Plot / narrative, Writing advice

The structure of your novel can enhance the overall story

Posted on 01/18/2020 at 12:00 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

When we think of story structure, we often think of plot progression and not necessarily the literal way in which...

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: Plot / narrative, Writer's Digest, Writing advice

The top writing tips from the Alliance of Independent Authors

Posted on 12/26/2019 at 12:00 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

No matter the topic, you’ve likely found a new blog to love and been both excited and exhausted by the...

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: ALLi (Alliance of Independent Authors), Diversity, Plot / narrative, Time management, Writing advice

Alternate proactive and reactive scenes to keep your story moving

Posted on 12/18/2019 at 12:00 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

“Formulaic” is often tossed around as an insult. We’re not suggesting that you make your novel as predictable as can...

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: Plot / narrative, Writing advice