Conflict and Your Story Machine
Discover how the conflict the main character of your manuscript faces is the little piece of the story machine with the biggest impact on your reader.
June 13, 2024
Plot: What’s At Stake?
Plot moves forward as pressure is applied to characters to motivate them to act. Pressure in a story is all about the stakes. Are your stakes high enough?
June 6, 2024
Worldbuilding and the 3 Stages of Writing
Many writers think worldbuilding is only for fantasy and sci-fi, but it’s important for all stories. Consider worldbuilding in these 3 stages of writing.
May 30, 2024
4 Tips for Efficient Worldbuilding
Worldbuilding is the process of making decisions about setting and systems for a story. Check out these four tips for efficient and effective worldbuilding.
May 23, 2024
4 Ways Setting Acts with and As Character
Setting can seem like a character all on its own, but only if the writer allows the setting to do its job. And that requires both research and imagination.
May 16, 2024
Worldbuilding for Everyday Worlds
Worldbuilding is something every fiction writer needs to think about to create believable scenes rooted in a setting in such a way that readers feel it.
May 9, 2024
Backmatter: When “The End” Isn’t The End
Backmatter is becoming more popular in nonfiction and fiction picture books. It can include timelines, photographs, and indexes. Will it work for your book?
May 2, 2024
Keeping Up to Date with the Institute of Children’s Literature
The Institute of Children’s Literature has a solid reputation for preparing students to be published. We adapt to ensure students are ready for the marketplace.
April 25, 2024
Writing Scams: A Pair of Potential Problems
Writing scams aren’t new but with a new age of technology comes variations on old tricks. Here’s what two of these scams look like and how to avoid being duped.
April 18, 2024
Writers and the Coming of “A.I.”
Today, we discuss writers and A.I. This is an ever-evolving topic where the ins and outs change quickly, but here are things to know about A.I. in early 2024.
April 11, 2024
5 Tips for Giving Useful Feedback to Writers
Not only does giving feedback help the writer who receives the feedback, it helps you as well. Let’s think about what makes good feedback and how to give it.
March 28, 2024
Writing Feedback: Casting Off Unhelpful Expectations
Preparing yourself to receive writing feedback is the best way to ensure you’ll improve. Let’s look at ways we sabotage our growth with unhelpful expectations.
March 21, 2024
Power Up Your Revision with Feedback
It’s easy to underestimate the value of feedback at some point in the revision process. Here’s where to get feedback and how to use it in your next manuscript.
March 14, 2024
4 Planning Tools to Use for Successful Revisions
Let’s look at some revision tools and techniques you may not have considered including timelines, style sheets, vision boards, and playlists!
March 7, 2024
L.E.A.P. into Writing for Children: Learn, Entertain, And Provoke
When writing for children, take a LEAP—write a story that teaches (LEARN), captivates (ENTERTAINS), AND gets the child to do something (PROVOKES).
February 29, 2024
Cultivating Writing Relationships in the Publishing Industry
Writers develop relationships in the publishing industry and these connections can contribute to a writer’s success. Let’s talk networking for writers.
February 20, 2024
What Writers Need to Know About Writing Chapters
Does your book need chapters? If so, how long should they be? Jan Fields reveals the ins and outs of using chapters effectively in your story.
February 15, 2024
Building Solid Relationships for Stronger Writing
Relationships play a key role in most fiction stories. Thinking about relationships of all kinds will make for stronger writing that will engage readers.
February 8, 2024
How to Make Readers Fall in Love with Your Book
Two things will make readers fall in love with your book: premise and character. Jan Fields shows how to have them head over heels for both in your story.
February 2, 2024
The Resolution to Produce: How Do You Make Time to Write?
The new year begins with so much potential. So how do we find time to write and use our creativity reserves to fulfill that potential? Check out these 3 tips
January 25, 2024
