Sports are a little bit exciting. Whether it’s a one legged wrestler pinning his opponent to the ground, a sixteen year old girl making the perfect landing after ten years of training, or an Olympic swimmer winning gold at only a quarter second’s difference between lightning strikes — sports are quite extraordinary in their simplicity. But we’re not here […]
It’s not as easy as you’d think to write in first person. Although it seems natural to speak in the voice of a single character, since you’ve practiced all your life, there are some tricks to learn and pitfalls to avoid. For instance, there isn’t only one kind of first person writing. There are actually four […]
Do you want to be the next JK Rowling and write a smashingly good fantasy novel that will earn almost as many good reviews as it does money? Or maybe you want to tap into the creative half of your brain and let off some steam before smoke starts spouting from both ears? My motivation for writing […]
What if writers could perform a magic trick to gain inspiration? They might not be magic tricks, but many of the writers on this list have tried-and-true techniques. This post lets you in on the secrets of how professional writers manufacture inspiration (hint: it’s not just reading and taking a long walk). When the gears of your […]
Don’t judge a book by its cover — judge it by its title! From flirtatious farm equipment to the prose of pee, these funny book titles will have you reading until you’re laughing, crying, or wetting the bed — hopefully all three. This list includes but is not limited to: cannibalistic cookbooks canine cyberbullying political grandstanding gangsta […]
Pinterest isn’t just a playground of DIY crafts, cake pop recipes, and humorous memes; it also inspires and offers guidance for the everyday writer. Whether you want to spice up your book, find resources on drafting your first novel, or boost your creativity, here are 20 Pinterest boards to motivate your inner writer. 1. Mandy […]
Everyone tells authors that they have to promote themselves on Facebook, but nobody really wants to hear other people promote their books all the time. So the 20 Facebook groups below are not for self-promotion. They’re for community building. Maybe someone you meet in one of these groups will help you find your next writing retreat, or […]
There are lots of character questionnaires out there stuffed with 200, 300, and even 400 questions. This is overkill. It’s not about how many questions you can answer, it’s about what questions you’re asking. The majority of questions on these questionnaires are filler that waste the author’s time. I mean, “How does this character view […]
I love a good laugh and I love reading, so of course I like books that can make me laugh. I don’t simply mean books that I occasionally smile at while I read. I mean books that make me look like a crazy person in public because I keep laughing out loud. This all stemmed […]
Authors are tired of getting the same questions at every interview. They’ve answered them a hundred times and will not be excited to answer them yet again. I can tell you exactly the questions writers get time and time again at every book reading and interview: Where do you get your ideas? What is your writing process […]
