People Aren’t Perfect – Your Characters Shouldn’t Be Either
While characters are often created from similar molds or archetypes, it is their imperfections that draw us in. Tips for crafting engagingly flawed characters.
The Value of Road Maps
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > I do love having a GPS to guide us whenever we’re making a road trip. Still, to be honest, I miss the days when I navigated using a combination of internet map…
Developing Your Story with a Plot Board: Part Three | IFW
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > In this three-part series, we go over how to set up a plot board to develop your story from an idea into a tailor-made synopsis that is as detailed or sparse as you want it to be. A…
When I Really Want To Get Better, I Teach
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > When I was in high school, I discovered something interesting: teaching something made me learn it more. I spent a lot of time helping other people through a variety of subjects and…
Developing Your Story with a Plot Board: Part Two | IFW
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > In this three-part series, we go over how to set up a plot board to develop your story from an idea into a tailor-made synopsis that is as detailed or sparse as you want it to be. The…
Adding Humor for Increased Sales
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > If you flip through your market guide or read writer’s guidelines online, there’s one word you’ll see over and over: humor. Kids love humor, so publishers do too. But for many writers,…
Developing Your Story with a Plot Board: Part One | IFW
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > In this three-part series, we will go over how to set up a plot board to develop your story from an idea into a tailor-made synopsis that is as detailed or sparse as you want it to be.…
Beware Bears: Problems to Avoid
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Having been writing professionally for a lot of years, I have sometimes been asked how do you build a career that has legs, one that will last. This is a valid question…
Success Ahead in Creating Characters
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Success Ahead in Creating Characters As we look at a successful year ahead, we must overcome the problems that have held our writing back. One of the frequent problems new authors encounter…
Planning Your Story
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Things you should know before you start your novel Before you can make the most of your writing time, you need to know where you’re going. Planning what you’re going to write can be as easy as saying,…
Triple Up for an Electrifying Year Ahead
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Now that 2019 has arrived, we want to get going on the best writing year ever. With many things outside our control (like publisher or agent reaction to our work), it’s good…
5 Ways to Get Over Writer’s Burnout
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > What to do when your creativity ebbs. Being a writer for a living is a funny thing. Unlike a lot of other jobs, writing comes down solely to you, and to your own mind. If you’re broken in…
Picture Books: 3 Sides to Great Picture Book Characters
Picture books are a character-driven art form. A large part of their success lies in truly memorable picture book characters. So what makes us love your character?
Picture Books: Sound Off
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > One of the defining characteristics of picture books is that they are designed to be read aloud. They are a way for parents to share art with children through story and illustration.…
125: Magnetize Your Books
125: Magnetize Your Books
November 16, 2018
Picture Books: First Lines
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Every picture book must begin somewhere and those opening lines are surprisingly important. For one thing, buyers on Amazon who use the “Look Inside” feature to browse the book often only see…
Picture Book Autopsy
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Many children’s writers have tried writing picture books. Some have gone on to tremendous success. Some have simply moved on to writing that suits their skill sets better. But the reality is…
The Unique Challenge of Picture Books
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > As with many art forms and literary genre, the picture book has changed over time. Picture books are a fairly young art form. The beginning of true picture books can probably be…
Down and Dirty Plotting
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Techniques for pulling it all together. With National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) right around the corner, or if you’re about to write a new book, it’s helpful to have a plot outline in front of you when you’re…
The Process of Novel Writing: Transitions
In novel writing, transitions jump readers ahead in time or place quickly. Here’s how to leave the reality of a scene and skim ahead via a transition.
