How to Use Antagonists in Your Story: The Right Way and the Wrong Way
How to use antagonists in your story is a critical skill that can either elevate or…
Scene, Summary, Postcard: 3 Types of Scenes in Commercial, Upmarket, and Literary Fiction | Jane Friedman
Photo by freestocks on Unsplash Today’s post is by author, book coach, and developmental editor Lidija…
When—and Why—Reveals Don’t Work | Jane Friedman
Photo by George Milton Today’s post is by editor Tiffany Yates Martin (@FoxPrintEd). Every story is a mystery,…
Set Up the Perfect Online Press Kit | Jane Friedman
Photo by cocarinne Today’s post is by author and website designer Camilla Monk. How’s your press kit…
A Writer’s Comprehensive Guide to Backstory
Hello, welcome to Everything You Need to Know About Backstory! I’m K.M. Weiland, and you are…
Structure: The Safety Net for Your Memoir | Jane Friedman
Today’s post is by writer and editor Lisa Cooper Ellison. A few weeks ago, I geeked…
3 Ways to Experiment with Memoir Structure to Improve Your Narrative Arc | Jane Friedman
Today’s post is by writer and editor Lisa Cooper Ellison. Most memoir first drafts consist of stories writers…
What Taylor Swift’s Vault Tracks Can Teach You About Not Killing Your Darlings | Jane Friedman
Today’s post is by writer and editor Sarah Welch. I write a lot about killing your…
12 Places to Find a Beta Reader (Updated)
“Where can I find a beta reader or critique partner?” Without doubt, that’s the second most…
Burned Out on the Business of Writing? 6 Insights to Rediscover Joy and Passion
In the ever-evolving landscape of the writing profession, where deadlines loom large and market trends shift…
5 Reasons Marketing Is Hard for Writers
Say the word “marketing” to a group of writers, and you’re likely to elicit a groan….
Writing Multiple Plotlines: Everything You Need to Know
Note From KMW: Hello and welcome to today’s post, in which I am trying something a…
7 Tips to Craft Compelling Character Motivation in Fiction
From KMW: As “the lie that tells the truth,” fiction only works when it is able to…
Lessons From 2023: 5 Reflections on “Flat Arc” Periods
Welcome to 2024! And welcome to what has become a yearly tradition here at Helping Writers…
Top 10 Writing Posts of 2023
Happy New Year, everyone! Welcome to 2024! For me, 2023 was an incredibly productive year. What…
Merry Christmas, Wordplayers!
Dear Wordplayers, Merry Christmas! I love Christmas. It has always been far and away my favorite…
12 of My Favorite Books in 2023
For a few years now, I’ve been lamenting that I wasn’t reading at the pace I…
How to Market a Book: 6 Steps From a Full-Time Author
While some of us may have known even as children that, “I want to be a…