Are you thinking about writing a memoir, but you aren’t sure where to start or what to include? Maybe you’re wondering how to write a memoir that someone other than your mom will actually want to read. But what exactly is a memoir, anyway? And how is it different from autobiography or...

In fiction, love shows up across all genres, complicating plots and transforming the protagonist. Even if you aren’t writing a romance novel, love might still be in the cards.

If you’re writing a love interest into your novel, you want to do so in a way that strengthens your...

Your novel's title is your first chance to grab a reader's attention. A perfect title will catch the reader’s eye on the bookshelf amidst the hundreds of other books surrounding it, or stop a reader mid-scroll if they are searching for books online. 

So how do you craft...

In fiction, first impressions are everything. Your opening line is your chance to convince potential readers why your book is worth their time— if that first line is boring or confusing, they won't hesitate to walk away.

So what makes a killer opening line? In this post,...

For readers to care about your story, they have to know what's at stake. And you can only know the stakes if you know what your protagonist is trying to achieve— their goal.

So what is a character's goal? The goal is the one thing your character wants more than anything else. That...

As difficult as it may be to write an entire novel, short stories are their own challenge. When writing short stories, you have a limited amount of words to use to draw your readers in, engage them in your story, and make them care about your characters.

So how are short stories different from...

"A goal is a dream with a deadline." Have you heard this saying before? Many writers dream of finishing their novel one day, but if you truly want to achieve it, you need to turn that dream into a goal. And a deadline is just one part of setting writing goals!

As with any big adventure, you need...

What happens when the idea well runs dry? When you open up that shiny new notebook or blank document and all your brain has to offer are cobwebs, dust bunnies, and a giant block of your creativity?

It is absolutely possible to experience writer’s block in the brainstorming phase....

Have you ever heard a story idea so catchy that it grabs you with just a handful of words, despite the idea itself sounding almost too simple? Dinosaurs in a theme park escaping their enclosures. One day repeating over and over. Cinderella, but as a cyborg. These short descriptions of Jurassic...

Antagonists are people, too. Soulless corporations and faceless soldiers play their part when we think of stereotypical “villains,” but the best antagonists are the ones who are just as complex as our heroes. 

It’s probably the first thing that came to mind when you...

Inspiration is not something you either have or you don’t. It’s something you can go out and find for yourself, no matter where you are in your writing journey. One of the greatest myths about writing is that successful authors are brimming over with unique ideas, and when they...

At a glance, writing a novel in a first-person or third-person point of view seems like an easy enough decision. It’s just a pronoun you’re changing, after all.

But choosing your point of view (or POV for short) is more complex than you’d think. First-person and third-person...