Author: wildsoundwritingfestival

How do you recognize a good urban fantasy when you see one, and if you want to try your hand at writing one, what’s the basic recipe? Here are the ingredients you need. Mishell Baker Even if you don’t regularly haunt the science fiction and fantasy section of your local bookstore, chances are you’ve crossed […]… Continue reading 5 Elements All Urban Fantasy Novels Must Have — L.A. Kennedy

No matter what sort of character name you’re pursuing, heed common sense and follow these seven tips to make sure you pick the best names possible for your story. Elizabeth Sims Choosing a character name for your novel is as pressure-filled as picking a name for a baby. It has to suit the character’s personality, […]… Continue reading The 7 Rules of Picking Names for Fictional Characters — L.A. Kennedy

One of the biggest bugaboos in manuscript submissions is when the author doesn’t properly introduce the protagonist within the first chapter. Here’s how to help readers meet your main character. Les Edgerton One of the biggest bugaboos in manuscript submissions is when the author doesn’t properly introduce the protagonist within the first chapter. Readers want […]… Continue reading Write Better: 3 Ways To Introduce Your Main Character — L.A. Kennedy

Katisha Smith Here at Book Riot, we are obviously into books. We love all books equally, but sometimes prefer a certain format when it comes to reading. Some Rioters detest hardcover books. Others love mass market paperbacks. Of course, we know audiobooks are more than just a trend. Personally, I prefer reading ebooks because I […]… Continue reading How Publishers Determine When to Release Hardcover Books in Paperback — L.A. Kennedy

Nancy Kress Most writers try to avoid writing flashbacks, but if you just can’t resist sending your readers back in time, fiction columnist Nancy Kress has some advice. Kress explains what makes a flashback work, and how to perfect your own time travelling techniques. Some stories behave conveniently for their authors: They take place in […]… Continue reading 3 Tips for Writing Successful Flashbacks — L.A. Kennedy

The Big Wonder So, stories tend to need that internal motivator/quest/motivation to keep their plot chugging forward and to keep the reader engaged. As you know, I talk about desire lines way too much, which are all about the emotional through-line for the characters in our stories, but another way to think about the internal […]… Continue reading Writing Tip Wednesday: Finding Your Big Wonder — Carrie Jones Books

Protests are burning through the world right now in the wake of George Floyd’s death – far from the first senseless death of a black person at the hands of the police this year in the United States of America. It is always important to support minority group content creators and voices, but I wanted […]… Continue reading Books About and By Black Voices — Laurel and the Books

by ARHuelsenbeck Simply stated, the theme of a story is a universal truth about the human condition that your story illustrates. Your theme may be as general as love, or death, or taxes. Or it could be as specific as think before you speak or be prepared to deal with the consequences of your words.… Continue reading Thinking About Theme When Writing — A Writer’s Path

by Ryan Lanz Have you ever thought to yourself that your characters are in charge, and not you? I once heard an interview where an author discussed his characters as if they were the ones with the quill in hand, so to speak. He went on to discuss how the characters would occasionally […] via When… Continue reading When Your Characters Won’t Behave — A Writer’s Path

by smwright Some beginnings come easy; others, well, they bite, claw, and resist like no tomorrow, leaving behind frazzled writers. Take for instance my novel Heritage Lost: It’s beginning stuck from the very beginning, back when I conceptualized the novel in college. Its sequel, which I’m beginning, is already on its fourth (I think) […] via… Continue reading Finding the Right Beginning For Your Novel — A Writer’s Path