3 Ways to Shorten Your Novel

When I was eleven, I sat down at our family computer armed with nothing but an empty document in front of me and not a single outlined sentence to be seen, determined to begin (and eventually complete) my very first full-length, 50,000+ word novel. And I did it! The finished first draft was officially 50,026 … Continue reading 3 Ways to Shorten Your Novel

The One Thing Your Characters are Missing

It can be hard to pinpoint the most difficult piece of writing. From descriptions, to editing, to world-building, to dialogue, to good prose in general, everyone has their own struggles and different pieces of writing they need to improve on. I certainly have quite a few! However, I think it's safe for me to say … Continue reading The One Thing Your Characters are Missing

Writing Characters Your Readers Care About

Writing characters can be one of the most difficult things you'll come across while writing a story. Well, maybe characters aren't the hardest thing. But creating a character who seems authentic and life-like, a character your readers care about? That's a different story! Writing great characters is very difficult. I honestly feel like my characters … Continue reading Writing Characters Your Readers Care About

5 Ways to Craft Your Characters With Your Themes

Sometimes when we write the themes to our stories, we don’t consider the vast subject of crafting our characters to fit our theme. Many times we craft them separately, first creating the theme, and then creating the characters (or vice-versa). That is a big mistake. Whenever you’re crafting your characters, you should always have the … Continue reading 5 Ways to Craft Your Characters With Your Themes