How to write a twist that will pleasantly surprise your readers

Posted on 01/17/2021 at 12:00 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

We can all agree that we’d prefer to leave earth-shattering developments to fiction rather than reality. And fortunately, that at...

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: Mystery, Plot / narrative, Writing advice

7 tips for writing that oh-so-quotable line

Posted on 01/15/2021 at 11:00 AM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

Look at any bookworm’s social media account and odds are good that you’ll see plenty of literary quotes among their...

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: Writer Unboxed, Writing advice

A screenwriter shares how to write compelling dialogue

Posted on 01/14/2021 at 11:00 AM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

Conversation isn’t the easiest thing in the world for many of us, especially given how little opportunity we’ve had to...

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: Writing advice

How to efficiently make a scene feel real to your readers

Posted on 01/11/2021 at 10:52 AM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

Regular readers of our C.S. Lakin posts know the value of bringing a scene’s setting to life. Her latest advice...

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: C.S. Lakin / Live Write Thrive, Writing advice

When and how to restart an abandoned writing project

Posted on 01/06/2021 at 11:42 AM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

Finishing projects that you began but abandoned certainly fits in the can-do mood of a year’s early days. Sometimes, though,...

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: Writing advice

Where does your fantasy novel fall on the magic spectrum?

Posted on 12/30/2020 at 02:00 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

Writer’s Digest editor Moriah Richard wants to set the record straight when it comes to magic in fiction — it...

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: Fantasy, Writer's Digest, Writing advice

Secondary characters deserve a moment in the spotlight

Posted on 12/29/2020 at 11:00 AM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

Your secondary characters may not be the stars of your novel, but author Kristina Adams suggests getting to know them...

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: Characters, Writing advice

The breath unit: A new way of thinking about sentence variation

Posted on 12/28/2020 at 11:18 AM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

Even if you’re not writing with the audiobook in mind, and even if your reader never speaks your words aloud,...

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: C.S. Lakin / Live Write Thrive, Language, Writing advice

Spruce up your writing on Christmas Eve

Posted on 12/24/2020 at 12:00 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

Still hard at work on Christmas Eve? Whether you're hoping to capture the holiday magic in your writing or are...

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: Writing advice

How (and why) to capture emotional truth in your writing

Posted on 12/23/2020 at 03:00 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

It’s a sentimental time of year — how can you stir the same level of feeling in your readers year-round?...

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: Jane Friedman, Writing advice