Conflict is critical to plot development. Conflict is where your characters gain traction on the plot so things can move forward. But … well, sometimes a plot just doesn’t seem to want to move. If you find your plot is stuck in a rut, it may be that your plot doesn’t have enough dimensions in it.
I am finally on the verge of submitting my first manuscript to agents after three years of drafting and editing, it’s satisfying to finally reach this milestone.
It’s also terrifying. Because a question is starting to haunt me: What if I don’t get picked?
Getting published. It’s a goal almost every writer shares. But how do you get your story from slush pile to publication?
Participating in a writer’s group can make a big difference, helping you improve your skills and giving the support of a community. But despite the benefits, it can be hard to get a group to stick it out for the long haul. People run out of work to submit, or something in the group dynamics doesn’t mesh, or one by one your members start slipping away like you’re in an Agatha Christie novel.
But it doesn’t have to get that way.
