Craft

What proofreaders do is invisible to readers, because we make the mistakes disappear. Every manuscript has errors. Here’s how the pros find them.

The fire alarm blares. Your character awakens in the middle of the night panicked and terrified. She races outside, dialing 911 on the way. Looks back through the open door. Oh no! Still inside is her precious….what?

Do you know Jessica Fletcher? Most people do. But what happens when the original author of a beloved series dies? Learn about writing as someone else.

Want to write the most effective dialogue possible? Saying it and doing it are two different things. Here are a few strategies to start the conversation.

If the reader doesn’t feel irresistibly compelled to turn the page at the end of chapter one, you are – how shall I put it – doomed. How can you hit your first chapter ending out of the ballpark?

Choosing to write your novel from the first person point of view (POV) confines you to a singular perspective for the duration of the novel. That has its benefits and its challenges.

What’s commonplace to you could be fascinating to readers – everyone has experiences and knowledge that are unique and special. Top-notch journalist Lis Wiehl reveals how secrets in your everyday life can create riveting fiction.

Where is your story set? What time of year is it? If you could set your story anywhere else, you haven’t given your story a strong enough sense of place. Ditto for season.

What item does your protagonist have in her bedroom that no one else does? What does that say about her?