Author: wildsoundwritingfestival

by Sheree Crawford A good novel has three main elements; characters, a plot, and an over-arching threat. Much as structure is distinct from plot so too is threat distinct from conflict, but you need it all to create a really good novel. Well, you need all four to create a publishable novel. If […] via Threat:… Continue reading Threat: What It Is and Why Your Story Needs It — A Writer’s Path

by Doug Lewars Consider a scene in which a CEO is meeting with some senior executives. Of interest to the story are a couple of individuals – say John and Frank. There are, however, say eight people in the meeting. Presumably we need to know something about the CEO but there are five […] via How… Continue reading How Much to Show of Side Characters — A Writer’s Path

by Ryan Lanz Writers use dialogue tags constantly. In fact, we use them so often that readers all but gloss over them. They should be invisible. However, there are ways to misuse them and make them stand out. In an effort to avoid that, let’s take a closer look at dialogue tags. Toward […] via The… Continue reading The Dos and Don’ts of Dialogue Tags — A Writer’s Path

by Josh Langston Most of us have had moments in our lives when something bad happened. The scale of “bad” is incredibly broad. It stretches from forgettable to life-changing and covers a staggering array of situations, actions, reactions, and consequences. For memoir writers, there’s a strong temptation to downplay if not ignore such episodes. […] via… Continue reading Edit Your Writing–Don’t Edit Your Life — A Writer’s Path

by Savannah Cordova “Failures are just learning opportunities that have presented themselves successfully.” If you’ve come across that sentiment before, it’s probably because there are countless quotes from numerous successful people about the value of making mistakes. If you’ve read a few self-help books or follow any motivational influencers in Instagram, it may […] via 5… Continue reading 5 Common Writing and Publishing Mistakes First-Time Authors Make — A Writer’s Path

by Kate M. Colby Whether you’re a beginning writer or a seasoned veteran, writing can be scary. Fiction authors put out original imaginings that often hold deeper truths (or are falsely judged to reveal something about the writer). Nonfiction authors declare themselves an authority on a topic, who readers depend upon for knowledge […] via Writing… Continue reading Writing Through Your Fear — A Writer’s Path

by Julianne Q. Johnson Right. I must say, that is perhaps the worst blurb I’ve ever written in my life. I’ve done it in paragraphs and highlighted a common blurb faux pas in each one, so let’s take them in order. via So You Have to Write a Blurb For Your Novel — A Writer’s Path

by Christopher Slater Nothing is more devastating than running into a complete roadblock when you are trying to think of good ideas for a story or book. Humans are storytellers. We love to spin a yarn about all kinds of things. Sometimes we want to be scared, other times amazed, and still others […] via 5… Continue reading 5 Ways of Ending an Idea Drought — A Writer’s Path

by ARHuelsenbeck It’s a common experience across the Blogosphere: you’ve made a commitment to your readers that you’ll post consistently on certain days, but, every once in a while, as the day approaches, you can’t think of a topic to write about; or your post is boring, even to you. What should […] via How to… Continue reading How to Keep on Blogging — A Writer’s Path

by Lev Raphael It’s really hard to say “no” to a gig when you’re a writer, even when you’re not a newbie. There’s nothing more precious than your time at home writing, but there’s always the chance that saying “yes” might make you a valuable personal or professional connection. And then there’s the […] via When… Continue reading When Should Authors Say “Yes” To A Gig? — A Writer’s Path