Month: June 2020

by Anthony Ehlers This post shows writers the hidden dangers of social media and shows how social media can hijack your creativity. It also offers you an exercise to break free from its influence. Social media offers you a great platform as a writer. It gives you a way to connect with readers, publishers, agents,… Continue reading 3 Ways Too Much Social Media Can Hijack Your Creativity — L.A. Kennedy

by Chuck Sambuchino No one reads more novel beginnings than literary agents. They’re the ones on the front lines, sifting through inboxes and slush piles. And they can tell us which Chapter One approaches are overused and cliché, as well as which writing techniques just plain don’t work when you’re writing a book. Below, find […]… Continue reading The Worst Ways to Begin Your Novel: Advice from Literary Agents — L.A. Kennedy

by Amanda Patterson We write about the 10 description mistakes writers should avoid at all costs. When we describe well in our stories, we are firmly entrenched in a character’s viewpoint using action, dialogue, emotion, and the senses to engage our reader’s imagination. If we don’t get this right, we risk the problem of having… Continue reading 10 Description Mistakes Writers Should Avoid At All Costs — L.A. Kennedy

As an erotica author, I’ve found that many people have preconceived notions about the art of writing erotica and erotic romance. Before I became well versed in writing the genre, I had misconceptions of my own, and that led to much trial and error as I worked to refine my craft and learn how better […]… Continue reading Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Writing Erotica (But Were Afraid to Ask) — L.A. Kennedy

Freelancers are sure to come across every type of editor during their career. Here’s a veteran writer’s catalog of all the types you’ll encounter and how to work with each. Don Vaughan Spend enough time in the freelance trenches, and you’ll find yourself working for an eclectic array of editors. If you’re lucky, the majority […]… Continue reading The Writer’s Field Guide to Editors — L.A. Kennedy

By Batya It’s a Choice Not every writer does it every day. Not even every writer you love or aspire to be like. It isn’t a badge that proves something about you, your identity, or your commitment. Just as there are good reasons to write daily, there are equally good reasons not to. Your Writing […]… Continue reading Why You Don’t Have to Write Every Day to Be a Writer — L.A. Kennedy

Flawed characters and antiheroes make for fascinating protagonists—but their behavior can risk alienating readers. Follow this blueprint for flawed-yet-relatable heroes who can still provoke empathy. David Corbett ILLUSTRATION © GETTY IMAGES: LUCIANO LOZANO Not so long ago it seemed every writer agreed: Protagonists must be “likable.” Then something curious happened. Everyone began to realize that […]… Continue reading No More Mr. Nice Guys: How to Write Flawed Characters & Antiheroes — L.A. Kennedy

Jeanette Solomon When I started thinking about this piece, I thought about it as just a list of my (many!) seemingly arbitrary rules for reading. Once I got started, though, I discovered that those rules actually tell you so much about me that they double as personality traits. In fact, they say so much about […]… Continue reading What Your Reading Rules Reveal About Your Personality — L.A. Kennedy

David Corbett offers a case study of the concept of pathos, a moral argument in which an everyman employs immoral means to pursue something he considers invaluable in the face of an overwhelmingly powerful person or system. David Corbett The “bad vs. worse” set-up discussed in the article “No More Mr. Nice Guys” in the […]… Continue reading Unlikable Characters: A Case Study — L.A. Kennedy

Why do many thrillers fail to thrill? It’s usually from a lack of suspense. Novelist Leslie Lutz shares six tips to create suspense in a thriller novel. Leslie Lutz You’ve just finished reading a chapter of your thriller-in-progress to your beloved critique group, and after your writing friends get the compliments out of the way […]… Continue reading 6 Tips to Create Suspense in a Thriller Novel — L.A. Kennedy