7 Quotes from African American Writers for MLK Day

7 Quotes from African American Writers for MLK Day

Words. As writers, we pound them out by the minute, fuss over every adjective, and worry over every comma. In fact we go through so many of them that they sometimes begin to feel meaningless. But if there was ever a person to remind us of how incredibly powerful words can be, Martin Luther King, Jr., is it.

4 Lessons from Orphan Black on Character Development

4 Lessons from Orphan Black on Character Development

Characters are one of the most important elements of any story. And character development can be challenging to get right.

Characters are critical for drawing readers into a story. They should also be the force that pushes your plot forward. A strong character can bring the story’s entire world to life. They can make your readers cry and even feel like a real friend. A weak one can deflate an entire book like a leaky air mattress.

So You’ve Finished a Rough Draft. What Now?

So You’ve Finished a Rough Draft. What Now?

First off, if you’ve recently completed a rough draft (via NaNoWriMo or otherwise), congratulations. Really. A big, whooping, stand-up, slow-clap congrats.

Writing a book’s rough draft is a big feat. But then it’s time to get down to business again, because rough drafts are called “rough” for a reason.

4 NaNoWriMo Principles for the Rest of Us

4 NaNoWriMo Principles for the Rest of Us

We’re now knee-deep in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), the ambitious writer’s one-month sprint to 50,000 words.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of writers take on the challenge, and thousands succeed, saying adios to November with a first draft of a shiny new novel in tow.

It’s a truly amazing feat. But it’s not for everyone.