Other Writers

Ever feel like you’re having such a hard day or week or month that you’re not sure how to write anything at all? You’re not alone. Recently, someone in the writing community on Substack posted the following: “Don’t you love it when you don’t work on your WIP for […]

Agatha Christie in 1910 By Melodie Campbell Some readers of Anne’s blog know that I taught fiction writing at college for over 30 years, going back to the early 90s.  The dialogue below happened so often in class, I could phone it in. Me to adult male student:  “There are […]

A new book is always something to celebrate, but we are extra excited about this one. Fear is more than an emotion that shows up in tense moments–it lies at the heart of every character’s journey. Every battle your character faces, every personal struggle they endure, every […]

In last week’s post, we discussed fear’s role in character arc, as well as the backstory elements you should know about your character’s past. Their wounding event, the resulting fear and lie, any emotional shielding, and their unmet need will come together to determine […]

Are you tired of the hustle-harder approach to book marketing? What if a quieter, more creative strategy could work just as well — and feel a whole lot better? How can special editions, physical letters, and library outreach bring readers to your books without the daily grind […]

When a character suffers emotional pain, the brain’s response is to stop the discomfort, and often this results in a coping mechanism being deployed. Whether it’s an automatic response or a learned go-to strategy, a mechanism helps them cope with the stress of the moment or […]

Want to wineditorial feedback and take your storyfrom good to great? Well, my writerly friend, you’re in luck! It’s time for our monthly Phenomenal First Pages contest. In this draw, you can win… Editorial feedback on the first 3 pages of your novel and book blurb. This […]

Writing about your character’s fear can be tricky because it rarely sits out in the open where everyone can see it. Instead, fear is hidden, rationalized, or the character puts on a mask and pretends it isn’t there at all. Yet when fear is shown well, it becomes an obvious […]

How can you improve your self-editing process? How can you find and work with professional editors and beta readers? How do you know when editing is done and the book is finished? With Joanna Penn In the intro, Poetry craft and business [The Indy Author Podcast]; A Mouthful […]

When a character suffers emotional pain, the brain’s response is to stop the discomfort, and often this results in a coping mechanism being deployed. Whether it’s an automatic response or a learned go-to strategy, a mechanism helps them cope with the stress of the moment or […]

Much as we may have things in common as writers, our brains are wired differently. How one writer creates a story is likely to be quite different from how another one does it. That doesn’t mean that one is wrong—it just means our processes differ. Figuring out how your […]

It’s hard to overstate the importance a character’s greatest fear plays in their life. As a key motivator, it informs decision-making, spawns new habits and tendencies, and pushes them to pursue certain goals. It’s the thing that will hinder them most in the story, and […]