How to Write a Novel: Characters Part 3 – Character Arc
Wait, what? We’re back to characters? That’s right – after talking about knowing your characters and creating goals, motivations, and conflicts, I took a week off, but that was strategic. Here’s why: In case you missed it, two weeks ago I talked about three different ways to plan your novel. [...]
Not Writing is Vital to Writing by James Callan
We all hear the advice to write every day. And I must say that when I do, the words flow smoother and the story moves along faster. But I also feel that time spent not writing will improve the book. Now, I'm not talking about watching a sitcom or a [...]
How to Write a Novel: 3 Different Ways to Plan Your Novel
When it comes to writing a novel, there are two main camps of writers: SOTPs (seat-of-the-pants writers who start writing and see what happens) and plotters (those who outline the story, then follow the outline). Those are the two most accepted/talked about ways to approach a novel, but I believe [...]
Book Review: Live Fearless by Sadie Robertson
Dear friends, I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty tired of the struggle. You know which one I mean—fear, loneliness, not knowing who I am or what I’m meant to do. . . . Sound familiar? I struggled with insecurity, comparison, and isolation for too many years, from thigh [...]
How to Write a Novel: Characters Part 2 – Goals, Motivations, Conflict
People don’t do things for no reason – there’s something that drives Olympic athletes, successful entrepreneurs, and merciless killers. The same is true for your characters. You can’t have a woman swear that she’ll never get married without giving her a believe reason for why she made that decision. Unfortunately, [...]