Why does your protagonist shy away from military men? Why does your hero think all beautiful women are snobs? Why is your antagonist determined to destroy the protagonist’s career? The answers to these questions are motivations for your characters’ behavior. It’s what drives them to do things they otherwise wouldn’t do—often against common sense—therefore, we […]
Revision Prompt – Too Many Characters at Once
You’ve heard of writing prompts, now we have revision prompts! Each prompt will give you a specific writing issue to check for in your WIP, along with tips on how to fix each. Going through this process one issue at a time will not only help polish your current novel but will also teach you specific ways to […]
The writing craft: drawing fiction from real life
Today we hear from writer Emilie Hendryx. Drawing from real life as a writer is not only helpful but also crucial in my opinion. What you draw out is what matters. Taking your cue from real life, use these three things to strengthen and enliven your fiction. 1) Motivation Read news stories or talk with […]
Four elements that every flash fiction story needs
Sick of writing your novel? Sure, I may be biased since I run Splickety Magazine, a flash fiction publication dedicated to showcasing the country’s best quick fic with kick, but we all know how difficult it can be to finish a novel. The solution? Write some flash fiction (a short story 1,000 words or less). […]