[perfectpullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””] Every novel is–at the beginning–the same opening of a door to a completely unknown space. -Margaret Atwood. [/perfectpullquote]
WRITING
How to think about multiple points of view | 
By point of view, I mean through whose EYES we experience the story. In the case of multiple povs, we get access to the thoughts and perceptions of several different characters.
Related content:
Point Of View: Understanding Which P.O.V. is Best for Your Story and Using it Effectively
Novel Plot Mistakes: 7 don’t for how to plot a novel | NOW NOVEL
Novel Plot Mistakes: 7 don’t for how to plot a novel 
In an otherwise well-written novel, plot weaknesses can derail the story and leave readers feeling unfulfilled and frustrated. Plot holes, unexplained departures from the established rules of your fictional world and other quirks can ruin a promising book.
Related content:
Plot Perfect: How to Build Unforgettable Stories Scene by Scene
Main Character: Who is your protagonist? | 
A basic question for every story is this: Who is the main character?
Related content: 
- Adding depth to your fiction –Body Language 101 | KRISTEN LAMB’S BLOG
Adding depth to your fiction –Body Language 101 | 
Here is a short Body Language 101 that will help you with “puppeteering” your characters’ bodies.
Related content:
Body Language: A quick reference for character action and description
- 5 Tips for creating a believable and captivating psychological thriller | WRITER’S DIGEST
Psychological thrillers are going through a boom–which means thriller writing is on the rise. The huge success of novels like The Girl on the Train, Gone Girl and Before I Go To Sleep have made it the hottest genre of the moment, and publishers are actively seeking these books, which are sometimes called domestic noir or domestic suspense.
Related content:
Writing a Killer Thriller: – An Editor’s Guide to Writing Compelling Fiction
- Asking ‘Why’? to create rich characters for your novel | LIVE WRITE THRIVE
I do a lot of manuscript critiques. Hundreds a year. I find t
he best way to get writers thinking about their plot and characters is to ask a lot of questions.
Related content:
Creating Characters: The Complete Guide to Populating Your Fiction
- Writing your middle grade character (aka The Center of Her Universe) | WRITER UNBOXED
Most of us likely began our writing careers in an adult world.
Your characters were people like you. Loving, caring, willing to drop everything to rescue your best friend from yet another disastrous relationship.
Related content:
The Art of Character: Creating Memorable Characters for Fiction, Film, and TV
+ Books on Writing:
- How to write dazzling dialogue
- Writing success: Your book from start to finish to publication
- Outlining your novel
- Writing deep point of view
- The art of memoir
- Reading like a Writer
- Rock your revisions
- The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide To Character Expression
SCREENWRITING
- How to make a 90 minute movie seem like three hours | KEN LEVINE
So you figure a movie about this lovable goofball, clashing with management, getting high, always walking a tightrope would make a great movie. Didn’t Bill Murray make seven of these?
- Starting a screenwriting career outside of LA (or New York, or London) | JOHN AUGUST
Stories from screenwriters who managed to build careers while living outside of Los Angeles, New York or London.
- High concept could make you rich | SCRIPT MAG
I only ask because last time I checked, this is a business. Are you treating your screenwriting like a business?
- The narrative connection between protagonist and antagonist | GO INTO THE STORY
The post, inspired by this video, lays out what it calls “Four Essential Principles for Creating the Ultimate Antagonist” and uses The Dark Knight for examples.
- Screenwriting Article – Ten tips to improve your dialogue right now! | SCRIPTSHADOW
Remember that at the heart of all good dialogue is conflict, but more specifically some kind of imbalance in the interaction. Something is unresolved and the characters haven’t come to an agreement yet. This necessitates conversation, which is where good dialogue is born.
+Books on Screenwriting:
- Super Structure: The key to unleashing the power of story
- Screenplay: The foundations of screenwriting
- Essentials of screenwriting
- Screenwriting: The sequence approach
- 33 Ways to sell your screenplay
- The eight characters of comedy
SELF-PUBLISHING
- Conference Subtext: Watching the pros and learning from them | WRITERS IN THE STORM
No one really talks about the learning curve as one adapts from writer to professional author, but boy, it’s there. We have so much to learn. Watching what others do can really help us. So with that in mind, here are some of my conference observations.
- 7 Ways to build your tribe (Hint: It’s not what you think) | JENNIFER BLANCHARD
I learned a TON at the TRIBE Conference this past weekend. And when I was going back through all the notes I took, I looked for 5-7 specific things that really nailed the overall “how to build a tribe” thing. (Oh, and “tribe” in case you didn’t know, is just another name for fanbase, audience or following.)
- Getting ready to launch a book? Start with these 5 questions | JANE FRIEDMAN
I’ve had quite an interesting year. I got married a couple of weeks ago, and six months before that I published my debut novel. Here’s one essential thing that holds true whether you’re hoping for success in love or book publishing: in order to find what you want, you need to know what you’re looking for!
- Book promotion links you probably don’t know about | JUST PUBLISHING ADVICE
You have to promote your book, but there are more options than only your Amazon book page URL
- The publishing industry in 2016: A status update | JANE FRIEDMAN
Several times per year, I write up a summary of the latest industry developments that have meaning for authors.
+Books on Self-publishing: