How well do you know your characters? You’ve probably asked yourself some form of this question before. Most successful writers spend time delving into the characters who populate their pages. Countless resources exist (such as Bookfox’s “4 Character Questionnaire Tests—Can You Pass Them?”) to help you create characters rich in backstory, motivation, and personality—just like […]
What you’re about to read is unlike anything else on Writer’s Block. The vast majority of other articles are written by freelancers who pick a few ideas off the top of their heads and slap them into a blog post. Most of them are recycling the same old familiar ideas – take a walk, take […]
Here are my 40 favorite books about writing, the books I’d swear by and beg you to read. These books help me feel like I’m not alone. They help me work through problems I didn’t even know I had. And they give me enormous amounts of courage to keep pressing on. After reading more than […]
Look, this is basically a list of 100 Things Every Writer Should Do Before They Die. How many have you already done? Some of them are pretty ambitious — reading 100 books in a single year is difficult, no doubt. While others like “write fan fiction” or “go to a reading” have a much lower […]
In every author’s life there comes a moment when they must slaughter one of their creations. Yep, you’ve got to kill one of your characters. I know, I know, you love them, you’ve created them, and yet for the sake of the story and for the sake of the reader, they need to bite a […]
How should you write a sentence? Well, most guides will start off with 10,000 ways NOT to write a sentence. You know, the finger-wagging schoolmarm that lectures you about avoiding fragments and comma splices and run-ons. Ugh. That’s so negative. I prefer to focus on all the beautiful ways that you CAN write a sentence […]
Writers hate the term genre. Readers love it. This is because genre creates expectations. Will these characters be able to fly, shapeshift, fall in love? Whether you choose to follow these expectations or not is up to you! But it is nice to be able to explain your story to agents, publishers, and readers using […]
These 30 writing conferences across the United States offer countless opportunities to hone your craft, network with industry professionals, and have a blast with fellow writers! Conferences can even become an integral part of the pitching process as they offer face to face time with agents. That’s just about impossible to replicate unless you live […]
Whether you’re a planner or a pantser, just hear me out. For the writer, an outline is a tool. A good outline helps you do two things. See the big picture Organize the little details A good outline will remind you that your characters are supposed to have a major battle on a cruise ship. […]
Every writer dreams of hearing the words I love your book. When looking for an agent to represent your fledgling novel, it’s key to find someone that shares your vision and passion. Here is an alphabetical list of 22 literary and genre agents on the hunt for their next bestseller. Will it be you? You’ll […]
