Category: Writing Advice and Tips

Everything You Need to Know About Query Letters

In the last blog post, we talked about the basics of everything you need to begin querying your novel. If you missed that post, you can read it here. This post is all about query letters! We brushed on the basics a bit in the previous post, but we're going to go much more in-depth … Continue reading Everything You Need to Know About Query Letters →

Everything You Need to Begin Querying Your Novel

The time has come. You've spent countless hours writing and polishing your manuscript until it's the best it can be. You're ready for the next step, to begin the frightening foray into what writing veterans call "the querying trenches". Maybe you already have an idea of what this next step is, maybe you are already … Continue reading Everything You Need to Begin Querying Your Novel →

Traditional vs. Indie Publishing (And Other Publishing Methods)

Now that you've polished your book to the best it can be, it's time to decide (if you haven't already) what publishing method you want to pursue. This post is all about the four different publishing methods (including vanity press, because a lot of new authors fall prey to them), with comparisons, and listed pros … Continue reading Traditional vs. Indie Publishing (And Other Publishing Methods) →

So You Finished Writing a Book, Now What?

So, you've finished writing that book. Whether it's a novel, a novella, or a saga with multiple books, it's still an accomplishment, and you deserve to sit back and treat yourself to something nice. (I personally tend to celebrate by buying a new book, eating chocolate, or getting myself a caramel frappé). However, you may … Continue reading So You Finished Writing a Book, Now What? →

Torturing Characters and the God Who Heals

Aside from being insane procrastinators, staying-up-late-editing-ers, and insane coffee drinkers, one of the most common stereotypes of authors is the character killer/torturer. The jokes abound everywhere and are some of the most commonly shared memes that exist in the writing world. In a recent post by Allison Tebo (author of the Tales of Ambia series … Continue reading Torturing Characters and the God Who Heals →

Slopes of Mt. Doom ~ The Writer’s Journey Part 8

We've discussed openings, character development, relationships, plot, world-building. Now, we've arrived at the climax and resolution. Generally, this is the most important part of your story. Everything you've been working towards is leading up to this moment, the cataclysmic breath of time where everything is either destroyed or resolved. (Usually, the latter.) The most crucial … Continue reading Slopes of Mt. Doom ~ The Writer’s Journey Part 8 →

The Breaking of the Fellowship ~ The Writer’s Journey Part #7

While in earlier posts we discussed world-building, characters, and plot, this post is going to talk about relationships. While some of these aspects apply to all types, this is going to focus especially on romantic relationships in fiction. First thing, however. I am a Christian and do not write smut in my books. If I … Continue reading The Breaking of the Fellowship ~ The Writer’s Journey Part #7 →

Citadels and Coppices ~ The Writer’s Journey Part 6

One of the most crucial parts of any story aside from characters and plot is world-building. Now, this differs greatly depending on what you're writing. Naturally, you're going to handle world-building in a very different fashion if you're writing historical fiction versus fantasy. I'm going to address both methods since the biggest different only depends … Continue reading Citadels and Coppices ~ The Writer’s Journey Part 6 →