10 Easy Tips to Help You Write Better Poetry
10 Easy Tips to Help You Write Better Poetry Sometimes small things can help you improve greatly. These tips are exactly the type of things you can do by simply spending a little bit of time everyday...
View ArticleHow a Writer should Watch a Movie
How a Writer should Watch a Movie November 25, 2013 by Ron 1 Comment This week kicks off the big movie season for Hollywood. Thanksgiving weekend will launch some of the biggest flicks of the year. In...
View ArticleCreate a Great Hero ( #Writing #Fiction )
Create a Great Hero January 15, 2014 by Ron Leave a Comment This week in the 6 month novel series, we’re going to create our hero. Now, this is one of those “chicken and egg” scenarios. You can come up...
View Article5 Ways To Make Your Characters More Three-Dimensional
5 Ways To Make Your Characters More Three-Dimensional Posted on November 20, 2013 by Writer's Relief Staff • 4 Comments...
View ArticleThink Like A Champion: Six Lessons Olympic Athletes Can Teach Creative Writers
Think Like A Champion: Six Lessons Olympic Athletes Can Teach Creative Writers Posted on February 7, 2014 by Writer's Relief Staff • 0 Comments...
View ArticleHidden Backstory by Ron Estrada
Hidden Backstory February 25, 2014 by Ron Leave a Comment You know the rules: keep backstory to a minimum. And that’s a good rule. I really don’t need to know that Jack Bauer was beat up in the 2nd...
View ArticleMy thoughts on Write Your Novel from the Middle by James Scott Bell
My thoughts on Write Your Novel from the Middle by James Scott Bell March 4, 2014 by Ron Leave a Comment Welcome to my new Wednesday feature. I’ll offer my thoughts on the books and websites geared...
View Article#Writing the #YA #Novel - by Ron Estrada
[size=48]Writing the YA Novel[/size] june 2, 2014 by ron leave a comment A funny thing happened while in the midst of my current work-in-first-draft, Camp Dogs, I wrote in a 16 year-old girl. I named...
View ArticleThe Fault In Our Stars – the story structure
[size=48]The Fault In Our Stars – the story structure[/size] may 14, 2014 by ron I’m going to try something different today. I’m a big proponent of plot structure. In fact, anyone who reads or watches...
View ArticleHow to Write a Flat Character Arc, Pt. 3: The Third Act
JUNE 22, 2014 by K.M. WEILAND | @KMWEILAND 2 COMMENTSCHARACTERS How to Write a Flat Character Arc, Pt. 3: The Third Act The Third Act is where we find arguably the greatest similarities between the...
View ArticleHow to Write a Flat Character Arc, Pt. 2: The Second Act
JUNE 15, 2014 by K.M. WEILAND | @KMWEILAND 8 COMMENTSCHARACTERS How to Write a Flat Character Arc, Pt. 2: The Second Act The Second Act is the beating heart of your story—and that’s just as true in a...
View ArticleHow to Write a Flat Character Arc, Pt. 1: The First Act
JUNE 8, 2014by K.M. WEILAND | @KMWEILAND 34 COMMENTSCHARACTERS How to Write a Flat Character Arc, Pt. 1: The First Act Next to the positive change arc, the flat character arc is the most popular...
View ArticleUsing Computer Applications for Writing Aids by Ron Estrada
Day 1 Stats july 1, 2014 by ron leave a comment I started plotting Scorpion Summer at work during my lunch or when inspiration for a scene hit me. I use an index card app called, oddly enough, Index...
View ArticleMost #Common #Writing #Mistakes , Pt. 31: One-Dimensional #Conflict
Most Common Writing Mistakes, Pt. 31: One-Dimensional Conflict Conflict is one of the most essential ingredients of fiction. When a character with a goal meets an obstacle to that goal, conflict...
View ArticleDo You Know the Answer to Your Story’s Most Important Question? ( #Plotting )
[size=10]JULY 9, 2014 by K.M. WEILAND | @KMWEILAND 16 COMMENTSSTRUCTURING YOUR NOVEL[/size] Do You Know the Answer to Your Story’s Most Important Question? The dramatic question. It’s your story’s most...
View ArticleValue Added Writer by Ron Estrada ( #Publishing )
Value Added Writer july 9, 2014 by ron 3 comments Photo courtesy of Flickr creative commons – leanforward photos Here’s how my brain is functioning these days: I’ve been chasing the publishing dream...
View Article#WORDCOUNT FOR #NOVELS AND CHILDREN’S #BOOKS : THE DEFINITIVE POST
WORD COUNT FOR NOVELS AND CHILDREN’S BOOKS: THE DEFINITIVE POST October 24, 2012 | Chuck Sambuchino | Comments: 43 [size=13]Word count for novels and books is something I don’t think about too often...
View ArticleTips on Effectively Conveying #Character #Emotion
Tips on Effectively Conveying Character Emotion by Karen Lotter on December 5, 2012 in Writing (Thurs) All successful novels, no matter what genre, have one thing in common: emotion, writes Bella...
View ArticleHow to #Write a Negative #Character #Arc, Pt. 1: The First Act
[size=10]JULY 13, 2014 by K.M. WEILAND | @KMWEILAND 26 COMMENTSCHARACTERS[/size] How to Write a Negative Character Arc, Pt. 1: The First Act Who in heaven’s name would want to write a negative...
View ArticleHow to #Write a Negative #Character #Arc, Pt. 2: The Second Act
[size=10]JULY 20, 2014 by K.M. WEILAND | @KMWEILAND 12 COMMENTSCHARACTERS[/size] How to Write a Negative Character Arc, Pt. 2: The Second Act The Second Act in a negative character arc bears a lot of...
View Article#HowtoWrite a Negative #Character Arc, Pt. 3: The Third Act
JULY 27, 2014 by K.M. WEILAND | @KMWEILAND 4 COMMENTSCHARACTERS How to Write a Negative Character Arc, Pt. 3: The Third Act In a word, the negative character arc is about failure, and this becomes...
View Article9 Traits of Sympathetic #Characters: #HowtoWrite
9 Traits of Sympathetic Characters Creating Sympathetic Characters, Part I I am working on characters in my VNovel. Apparently, I generate initial sympathy for my protag, but at some point, the reader...
View Article#Villains Don’t Always Wear Black #HowtoWrite
Villains Don’t Always Wear Black Evil is live spelled backwards. The protagonist of a novel represents life; the villain, anti-life. How do you develop, strengthen and revise this important character?...
View ArticleStrengthen Your #Villain - #HowtoWrite
Strengthen Your Villain Your villain can be strengthened in several ways. Wait. Do you HAVE a villain, don’t you? [size=20]Do you need a villain? One question I often hear is, “Do I really need an...
View ArticleShrunken #Manuscript - #HowtoWrite
Shrunken Manuscript As part of my Novel Revision retreat, I ask writers to shrink their manuscripts. Several people asked if I would post clear instructions on how to do the Shrunken Manuscript. This...
View ArticleYou Need a Series of #BookTrailers
You Need a Series of Book Trailers I’m still celebrating the publication of my picture book, PRAIRIE STORMS, by creating another video. This time, I attended the AETN-PBS Family Day event in Conway,...
View ArticleHow to #Write a #BookSeries : 3 Crucial Decisions
Fiction Notes Jul 28, 2014 06:41 am | How to Write a Book Series: 3 Crucial Decisions [size] The ALIENS have landed! "amusing. . .engaging, accessible," says Publisher's Weekly [/size] [size] To write...
View Article9 Best #Tools to Make #Writers More Successful, Organized, and Effective
JULY 25, 2014 by SANDRA MILLER 16 COMMENTSWRITING LIFE 9 Best Tools to Make Writers More Successful, Organized, and Effective Being a successful writer has a lot to do with natural talents. But that...
View ArticleIs Your Story’s Voice Turning Away Readers? #WritingVoice
JULY 23, 2014 by K.M. WEILAND | @KMWEILAND 35 COMMENTSNARRATIVE Is Your Story’s Voice Turning Away Readers? A story’s voice is always a hot topic among writers. What is it? How does it work? How can...
View ArticleMaybe Your Bad Guy Is RIGHT! #Writing #Characters
JULY 16, 2014 by K.M. WEILAND | @KMWEILAND 42 COMMENTSCHARACTERS Maybe Your Bad Guy Is RIGHT! How do you know if you’ve written a good bad guy? There are many possible qualifiers. He’s scary. He’s...
View Article#Foreshadowing’s #1 Job in Your Story - #HowtoWrite
JULY 30, 2014 by K.M. WEILAND | @KMWEILAND 18 COMMENTSFORESHADOWING Foreshadowing’s #1 Job in Your Story This week’s video reveals a simple but often overlooked function of foreshadowing that all...
View ArticleThanks, Optimus Prime: What the Transformers Can Teach Us About #Plot
Thanks, Optimus Prime: What the Transformers Can Teach Us About Plot I am writing a science-fiction trilogy and I’d like it to have general appeal to kids and teens. So, recently, I went to see the new...
View Article#Characters or Ciphers? Which Are You Casting in Your Story? #WritingTips
AUGUST 13, 2014 by K.M. WEILAND | @KMWEILAND 6 COMMENTSCHARACTERS Characters or Ciphers? Which Are You Casting in Your Story? This week’s video talks about why your characters may be as one-dimensional...
View Article4 Types of #Villain – The Last One is Truly Scary Because He’s So Good...
4 Types of Villain – The Last One is Truly Scary Because He’s So Good Guest post by K.M. Weiland Ooh, bad guys. Where would our stories be without their spine-tingling, indignation-rousing,...
View Article3 Reasons You Should Consider #Writing a #Novella Right Now
AUGUST 15, 2014 by NEAL ABBOTT | @NEALABB36 COMMENTSWRITERS HELP 3 Reasons You Should Consider Writing a Novella Right Now When I first took to creative writing, all I ever heard about writing a...
View ArticleThe Crash: Braving Your #SecondDraft #WritingTips
[size=10]AUGUST 8, 2014 by HARRISON DEMCHICK | @HDEMCHICK 50 COMMENTSEDITING YOUR NOVEL[/size] The Crash: Braving Your Second Draft Tell me if you’ve been here before. It’s May, with finals lurking...
View ArticleTea Party or Fist Fights? Why #ActionScenes are Hard to #Write ! #WritngTips
Tea Party or Fist Fights? Why Action Scenes are Hard to Write! [size=14]In my current WIP, I want to up the action and make this a physically exciting story. So, I bought a great ebook, Action! Writing...
View ArticleWhat Went Wrong? #Story #Conflict and How to Make it Stronger #WritingTips
What Went Wrong? Story Conflict and How to Make it Stronger In your story or novel, something must go wrong. [size=14]Without conflict, there is no story. As you develop a plot, it’s helpful to think...
View ArticleGeneral to Specific: From One Sentence to a #Plot
General to Specific: From One Sentence to a Plot So, I have a general outline of my story but the writing still isn’t flowing. I realized that I need to break down major events into smaller sections,...
View ArticleHow to #Write a Gut-Wrenching Tragic #Scene –Thanks to One Surprising Detail!
How to Write a Gut-Wrenching Tragic Scene–Thanks to One Surprising Detail! [size=13]This week’s video contains a confession from me, slightly counter-intuitive advice on how to write a tragic scene,...
View ArticleAre You Overlooking This Easy Way to Make Your Story More Interesting?...
Are You Overlooking This Easy Way to Make Your Story More Interesting? [size=13]This week’s video uses an example from Christine Jeffs’s Sunshine Cleaning to show how you can use your character’s job...
View ArticleShould All Your Minor #Characters Have Arcs? #WritingTips
Should All Your Minor Characters Have Arcs? If your protagonist’s character arc has the ability to deepen your story, then just think how much more depth you can create if all your minor characters...
View ArticleYour #Characters ’ Names: Do You Know Why You Chose Them? #WritingTips
Your Characters’ Names: Do You Know Why You Chose Them? Quote :What’s in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet. So says Juliet to Romeo, but we all know how that...
View ArticleJohn Ford on Creating Marvelous #Characters With Minimum Effort #WritingTips
John Ford on Creating Marvelous Characters With Minimum Effort This week’s video shows how a little subtext can make vivid characters out of your entire cast. Video Transcript: A few weeks ago, we...
View ArticleEvergreen #Characters : Populating a Series With Characters Who Never Get Old...
Evergreen Characters: Populating a Series With Characters Who Never Get Old Pippi Longstocking. Katniss Everdeen. Meg Murry. Taran, the Assistant Pig Keeper. Despereaux. Ed Kennedy.[/size] These...
View Article#Storytelling : One Surprising Approach to #Plotting - #WritingTips
Storytelling: One Surprising Approach to Plotting Plotting is probably the hardest thing I do. I can explain to you 29 different plot templates. And I often write about plotting a novel. Theory, I...
View ArticleMost effective way to conquer writer's block?
I've been in a slump for a very long time now and it's really bothering me. I could really use some tips on how to continue and preferably soon finish my main prose project right now. How effective is...
View ArticleHow to Tell if Your Protagonist Needs a Better Goal by K.M. Weiland
How to Tell if Your Protagonist Needs a Better Goal Did you know your protagonist isn’t as special as you think? Special means unusual or set apart. And amidst all the many awesome characters in your...
View Article1.6 Million Reasons Why Your 3Books Should Be in the #iBook Store #WritingTips
1.6 Million Reasons Why Your Books Should Be in the iBook Store Have your books been updated and made for sale as ebooks? Are you on the Kindlestore, the Nook store, or the Kobo store? Great. But if...
View ArticlePowerful Writing: Lessons from Dostoevsky
Found at: http://believerstrust.org/powerful-writing-lessons-from-dostoevsky/ JUNE 19, 2015 [size=60]Powerful Writing: Lessons from Dostoevsky[/size] You’re standing in front of a firing squad, about...
View Article
