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Mythical creatures list: 6 fantasy inspirations

Authors through the ages have found story inspiration in mythical creatures. From fauns and mermaids to the more unfamiliar, here is a mythical creatures list (with examples from books) to inspire your own fiction: 1. Fauns 'Hybridity' is a common element in many mythical creatures. Biolog...

February 24th, 2020

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Editing and revising: 7 tips from top authors and editors

Editing and revising are often seen as the 'slog' part of writing. Yet there is imagination and creativity in this stage of writing, too. Read 7 respected authors' and editors' ideas and methods: 1. Eliminate 'puffy' writing In Stephen King's On Writing, King describes a useful note he rec...

February 17th, 2020

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What the best fantasy series teach us: 7 lessons

The best fantasy series offer many lessons in building magical worlds and fantastical escapades. Read 7 lessons from series by Le Guin, Tolkien, Pratchett, Lewis and others: 1. Create magic with the details The 'rules' for world building are similar to the rules for writing realism. Detail...

February 3rd, 2020

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Write with purpose: 7 ways to keep drafts focused

As in memorable music where each note feels carefully considered, many great books have a strong sense of underlying purpose. How do you write with purpose and direction? Here are 7 ways to keep drafts focused: 7 ways to main your draft's focus: Use a flexible outline Write the last lines...

January 27th, 2020

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World building tips: Writing engaging settings

World building tips often focus on fantastical genres such as fantasy and sci-fi, because they involve creating worlds different to our own. It's important to create immersive, interesting and believable settings, whatever your genre. To build a detailed world, one to rival Westeros, Hogwar...

January 16th, 2020

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What makes a plot intriguing? 6 ideas

What makes a plot keep you turning pages? Plot has many moving parts. Incidents and elaborations, causes and effects, doubling back and forecasting approaching events. Learn more about the relation between 'plot' and 'story' and ways to make your plot more captivating: 1. Elaborate your story...

January 13th, 2020

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Your writing process: 7 habits for success

The writing process is often spoken about in near-mystical terms. Sit in the right chair, at the right desk. Burn some sage. Turn around three times before you sit down to write. Yet anyone can build a successful writing process. Here are 7 key habits to reach your writing resolutions: 1. Kee...

January 7th, 2020

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The decade in writing: 10 insights from 2010-2019

The past decade gave us everything from viral K-pop hits and ice bucket challenges to the first photo of a black hole. The 2010s also saw many interesting moments in writing and publishing. Read 10 insights from authors' interviews, conversations and tributes from the past decade: 1. Write fr...

December 23rd, 2019

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Editing copy? 8 tips for a word-perfect manuscript

Finishing a draft of your manuscript brings with it a fantastic feeling of accomplishment. Yet great books are made in the writing and editing process. Editing copy for common SPAG (spelling, punctuation and grammar) errors, stylistic gaffes such as tautology, and other flaws will help you strip...

December 17th, 2019

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How to get writing ideas: 7 insights from Goodreads

Where do great writing ideas come from? Ideas arise from many places. Questions about broad societal issues. Visual images that linger in your imagination. Questions such as 'what if...' and 'why is it that...'. Read 7 insights on how to get writing ideas from Goodreads' author interviews: 1...

December 9th, 2019

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9 NaNoWriMo lessons for next year and beyond

Whether or not you participate, there are useful NaNoWriMo lessons and insights to discover each year, in the writing community's discussions, celebrations and lamentations on writing. Read 9 NaNoWriMo insights applicable to all writers: 1. Get a head start on writing while motivated Writi...

December 2nd, 2019

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How to turn a premise into a plot: 7 tactics

Finding a great story premise that excites you and motivates you to write is a great win. Yet finding how to turn a premise into a plot with greater detail is trickier. Try these 7 tactics to build your story idea into an engaging narrative: 1. Use simple writing prompts to ask helpful questi...

November 25th, 2019

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