Delve deep into the artistry of writing with a focus on refining your craft. From character development to world-building and beyond, enhance your skills with tips, techniques, and advice from fellow authors and industry professionals.
Megan Linski-Fox As an individual with a rare chronic disease, I’ve centered my career in writing stories about disabled characters. Disabled people are everywhere, and they deserve to have their stories told—and not just those about their conditions. It’s not enough to make a story inclusive. Stories...
Writing about Other Cultures: A Delicate Balance Writing about topics that do not belong to your culture can be tricky. In today’s society, writers venturing into those areas are sometimes worried about being accused of cultural appropriation or the use of topics from other cultures for gain or profit...
In his essay titled “The Narrative Idea,” David Halberstam has a simple piece of advice for writers who want to succeed at their craft: “The idea is vital.” His words, published in 2007 in the book Telling True Stories, were directed toward narrative journalists, but they apply to some extent...
Adding Tension to Your Stories Kasia Lasinska Tension is not just reserved for Thrillers—it spans across all genres. In Romance, there’s sexual tension (just kiss already!); in Dystopia, there’s the ever-present threat that one wrong move could draw the attention of the government; in Horror, we have...
But using a formal structure is the death of creativity... Sure, that’s about as true as saying painters who prefer 11x14 canvas are not making the most of their art because they’ve limited the project’s size. Just like painters can start with any base and express their...
Writing for Middle Grade Writing for Middle Grade Middle Grade, an age-based story category, exists across multiple genres. Whether fiction or nonfiction, fantastic or realistic, historical or contemporary, these stories are generally written with ages 8-12 in mind, although they may also appeal to teens and adults who enjoy short,...
