The time has finally come to write the dedication page to the story you’ve sweat blood and tears over. Should be easy enough, right? Sometimes it seems that these little blurbs are harder to write than the book itself. Let’s toss around some ideas to help you get this important part of your book written. Who? Who should you dedicate your book to? Well, there are many answers, and they can be a lot of creative fun. You can dedicate … Read More »

Writers are dedicated, committed, sometimes obsessed individuals. Their creativity seldom gives them a moment’s peace. Some writers work on multiple projects simultaneously, which amps up the pressure to create even more and leaves little, if any, time to just chill a little. So, how does a writer take a break without feeling like they’ve abandoned their work, impatient characters, and unresolved plot? Even if writers can’t completely disconnect, let’s explore some temporary solutions. A Related Break Set your work aside … Read More »

When it’s time to name the characters in your story, where do you start? If you’re lucky, one or more may have already told you who they are. What about the rest? Some may be secondary characters or ones that are mentioned only once or twice, but they still need names so readers can picture them in their mind and identify with them. Let’s see what we can do about those blank spaces on your character roster. Personality Traits Take … Read More »

At some point in the life of your story, you’re going to have to write a book blurb. Some writers are convinced that this short description is more challenging than writing an entire novel. How does one condense an 80,000 word story into a 150-250 word teaser? Well, it’s not impossible, and it’s important to try and get it as right as you can—for a number of reasons. Back Cover Showcase Your book blurb is an important attention-getter on the … Read More »

Writers are pretty much a solitary, dedicated lot, listening to their characters and investing countless hours telling their story. Amidst that fierce determination is the stark realization that writers cannot work non-stop—it may even prove to be counter-productive. So, when is the best time to take a break, and should those breaks be totally unrelated to the craft of writing? Let’s explore some ideas about taking breaks and how they can help a writer become even more productive when they … Read More »

Every story needs details—it’s what helps bring it to life for the reader. Details set stories apart from one another and enable the writer to introduce seemingly insignificant nuggets that may play a major role as the story progresses. The challenge for the writer is to find the acceptable ratio of details to plot without drowning the reader in details. Let’s examine a few pitfalls and see what we can learn from them. Example: A historical fiction novel features a … Read More »