by Hugh Cook A cardinal principle of fiction writing is that effective characterization lies at the heart of all good fiction. This holds true whether you write thrillers, romance, fantasy, sci-fi, or literary fiction. This principle is universally agreed upon by editors, literary agents, and writers themselves. Listen to what they say: Renowned New York editor and publisher Sol Stein says in his book On Writing, “During all the years in which I was an editor and a publisher, what did I hope for when I picked up a manuscript? I wanted to be swept up as quickly as possible in the life of a cha ..read more

  by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig LitLinks are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 70,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers. While you’re there, check out the Writer’s Digest award-winning Hiveword novel organizer. Have you visited the WKB lately?  Check out the new redesign where you can browse by category, and sign up for free writing articles, on topics you choose, delivered to your email inbox!  Sign up for the Hiv ..read more

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig It’s been a while since I started writing a new series. Late-2018 was the last time, actually. The reason I don’t start new series all the time is because it’s a heck of a lot more work than continuing already-established series.  It’s also why I’ve only written one standalone novel. If you’re writing a series, most of the world-building work has been done early on, along with character development for the principle characters. It’s also so much easier to write about characters you’re very familiar with. The books almost write themselves. Why do it ..read more

  by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig LitLinks are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 70,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers. While you’re there, check out the Writer’s Digest award-winning Hiveword novel organizer. Have you visited the WKB lately?  Check out the new redesign where you can browse by category, and sign up for free writing articles, on topics you choose, delivered to your email inbox!  Sign up for the Hiv ..read more

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig Here’s a quick reminder for those of you who get book covers from your designers before working on the book. Make sure, before the paperback version goes live, that the back cover copy is still accurate. Sometimes even the ebook cover might need adjusting. Why be in this situation to begin with? For me, I’ve got to get on my cover designer’s schedule early or else my releases won’t launch in time. I usually get books covered three months prior to even starting the draft. Early book cover design works great most of the time. It definitely helps me stay o ..read more

by Wendy Adair, @WendyAdair14 I recently completed and published my second book, a mystery titled Deliver Us From Evil…and the Six O’Clock News.  I came to self-publishing after trying in vain to get an agent, but I have embraced the freedom, control, speed, and  ownership that self-publishing grants me. A few decades ago my 120 agent rejections would have meant my first book would have never seen the light of day.  In my head anyway, self-publishing bore the mark of “vanity press” and was not taken seriously by anyone.  But thanks to changes in printing technology and onl ..read more

  by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig LitLinks are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 70,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers. While you’re there, check out the Writer’s Digest award-winning Hiveword novel organizer. Have you visited the WKB lately?  Check out the new redesign where you can browse by category, and sign up for free writing articles, on topics you choose, delivered to your email inbox!  Sign up for the Hiv ..read more

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig There’s an idiom that I often hear, that’s always bothered me a little bit. It’s about “taking the path of least resistance.” It’s usually thought of as being a negative thing. Merriam-Webster defines the phrase as: to choose the easiest way to do something instead of trying to choose the best way.” I understand the negative connotations, but to me, taking the path of least resistance is something that often is the smartest approach leading to the best way. Here’s a non-writing example. I know I need to exercise. I exercise daily, by taking the path of ..read more

  by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig LitLinks are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 70,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers. While you’re there, check out the Writer’s Digest award-winning Hiveword novel organizer. Have you visited the WKB lately?  Check out the new redesign where you can browse by category, and sign up for free writing articles, on topics you choose, delivered to your email inbox!  Sign up for the Hiv ..read more

This post is for self-publishing writers (because traditionally published writers get free editing) and writers who might be on the fence about outlining. Here’s my usual caveat: if you’re not outlining, and that’s working for you, you should definitely keep doing what’s working. I’ve written a lot about outlines. You can find those posts here. I’m the kind of writer who finds outlines a necessary evil. I started off as a pantser, but it ended up making me run into issues when I was trad-pubbed. I find outlining really tedious, but I do like the results. When you hire a freelance editor, the ..read more