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by L.A. Murphy One of the most important things to consider when writing anything is the setting. Where, when and why are the questions

by Lev Raphael (originally posted on ryanlanz.com) When I published my first short story in Redbook after winning a prize, I thought my care

by ARHuelsenbeck If you are writing a story, you must consider how you will handle these seven elements: Plot—is what happens. It is the act

What is lacking in my story? – The more you write, the more you’ll be asking yourself this question, and if you aren’t careful, it probably

Any creative venture is uniquely special to its creator. There’s a conception, a gestation period of preparation and practice, and then a bi

All writers get the same advice. Read the great writers; study the great works. Learn how seasoned, professional, and successful authors get

I love reading and writing action-orientated stories. It doesn’t matter if it’s a movie or book—I love all the action with fights, weapons,

Last week at my Saturday writer’s group, we had a discussion about character names. One of our people is taking her first crack at fantasy,

My Twitter timeline is awash with urging. Write every day. Even if it’s for ten minutes. Just write. Write well and often. And so on.

I believe I was in high-school when I first stumbled across a modernistic book that was devoid of plot.

I took a Twitter break recently, and it’s gotten me thinking about Twitter. So, a Twitter post. I’m not one of those people who thinks Twitt

Rewrites have a negative connotation in the writing world, and when listening to some writers talk about them, you’d suspect they were on pa

Comparatively speaking, writing a novel is the fun, easy, first step of the self-publishing process. The second step, creating an attention-

Should you include a prologue in your novel? I have known writer friends who have debated this for years. Some love them, some hate them, bu

While writing my first novel, I attended a lot of classes and read tons of how-to books. “Show, Don’t Tell” was a mantra I heard from most w

Some beginnings come easy; others, well, they bite, claw, and resist like no tomorrow, leaving behind frazzled writers.

Have you ever thought to yourself that your characters are in charge, and not you?

Characters. There’s no force more central to any story you tell. Be it a run-and-gun thriller or a dramatic love dodecahedron, a tale focus

I am asked quite often the best ways to market a book. The most frequent questions I get revolve around making it as cheap as possible yet c

Simply stated, the theme of a story is a universal truth about the human condition that your story illustrates. Your theme may be as general