Craft

“I’ve never thought of counting words. I’d rather not know.”

Iris Murdoch

Career Authors Infographic Library

by Brian Andrews | Oct 27, 2021 | Craft

Career Author’s Infographics distill complex topics into the essentials to help keep you informed and laser-focused when you’re trying to create compelling characters and prose.

25 Ways to (Pumpkin) Spice Up Your Writing

by Jessica Strawser | Oct 18, 2021 | Craft

No matter where or when your story takes place, take your pick of these ideas & prompts for using the best of fall to inspire your pages.

8 Scintillating Rules for Writing Romances

by Dana Isaacson | Oct 13, 2021 | Craft, Romance

Romance is by far book publishing’s most popular genre, and following these 8 rules will help you seduce future readers.

SWITCHING GENRES 101

by Our Special Guest | Oct 6, 2021 | Craft

If you’re in this writing game for the long haul—to be a career author—you need to adapt as the times, readers’ tastes, the marketplace, and your own writerly desires and ambitions change. Sometimes that means switching genres. Here’s what to look out for.

Writing Nature

by Paula Munier | Oct 4, 2021 | Craft

Mother Nature can be a writer’s best friend. In the natural world, you’ll find endless possibilities for revealing your characters, propelling your plots, and supercharging your settings.

How to be A Rock Star Author: Five Things Playing in Bands Taught Me About Writing

by Our Special Guest | Sep 29, 2021 | Craft, Mystery

Can being a real rock star help you become a rock star author? Novelist (and bass player) Clea Simon reveals how “on stage” can go onto the page.

How To Outline Your Novel. Or Not.

by Hank Phillippi Ryan | Sep 27, 2021 | Craft

USA Today bestseller Hank Phillippi Ryan was an unshakable panster. And then one day, she made an outline. What happened next was a shocker.

Keeping It Real: Suspend Your Disbelief…

by Brian Andrews | Sep 22, 2021 | Craft

Suspension of Disbelief is an example of an industry term of art that gets thrown around a lot, but is rarely explained…so let’s dig in and break it down!