[perfectpullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””] Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on. -Lous L’amour. [/perfectpullquote]
WRITING
Using a real life legal case as inspiration for a novel | BOOKS BY WOMEN
Using a real life legal case as inspiration for a novel | 
Contracts, client meetings, and talking on the phone is not something that readers want to find in a thriller. That said, one of my goals in my debut novel was to tell a compelling story while at the same time giving readers a glimpse into what it’s really like to practice law. How could I do that without boring them?
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- Masterplots Theater: Z is for Zoomorphic | WRITE ON SISTERS
The defining element of this somewhat made-up masterplot is that the characters are animals that act human, so much so that they talk like us, walk on two legs, and wear clothing. In this way, FINDING NEMO does not fit in this category, but FANTASTIC MR. FOX does.
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Believable characters in ten minutes
- The 6 Elements Of Fiction | THE WRITE PRACTICE
The 6 Elements Of Fiction | 
Much of writing is instinctual, born of exposure to good stories and a lot of practice. However, there are some tools every writer needs to make their story professional and effective. Grammar and spelling are the obvious ones, but today, I’m talking about the elements of fiction: character, plot, setting, point of view, theme, and style.
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- Emotional Would Entry: Growing Up In Foster Care | WRITERS HELPING WRITERS
Emotional Would Entry: Growing Up In Foster Care | 
When you’re writing a character, it’s important to know why she is the way she is. Knowing her backstory is important to achieving this end, and one of the most impactful pieces of a character’s backstory is her emotional wound.
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- 10 Dialogue Errors To Avoid At All Costs | WRITERS WRITE
Wr
iting good dialogue can be difficult. Here are some of the most common mistakes beginner writers make.
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How to write dazzling dialogue
- 5 Reasons Your Story Is Stuck | KRISTEN LAMB’S BLOG
5 Reasons Your Story Is Stuck | If
you’ve been writing any amount of time you have been there—THE SUCK. This is where no matter how hard you try, you just cannot seem to move your story forward.
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- Character Development: 9 Tips For Convincing Arcs | NOW NOVEL
C
haracter development is crucial in stories exploring how people relate to each other and their environments. If all your characters stay unchanged, even through extreme circumstances, your novel can feel flat; two-dimensional. Developing your characters creates variety and makes characters vivid.
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+ Related books:
- How to write dazzling dialogue
- Writing success: Your book from start to finish to publication
- Outlining your novel
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- Reading like a Writer
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- The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide To Character Expression
SCREENWRITING
- How a TV Show Gets Made | GO INTO THE STORY
This gives a pretty good idea about how a TV show gets produced.
- Suspension Of Disbelief: Making a Hollywood Dream a Reality | SCRIPT MAG
When I attended film school, the first thing I was taught in screenwriting class was the term suspension of disbelief. Our professor ingrained in us that for any film to be successful an audience must be seduced into believing what they are witnessing onscreen as reality, in order to be entertained.
- Alexander Payne on Appealing Characters vs. Sympathetic Characters | GO INTO THE STORY
In my current Create a Compelling Protagonist 1 week class, the subject came up about writing characters who don’t fit into the conventional role of a sympathetic figure, Willie (Billy Bob Thornton) in Bad Santa for example.
- 5 Characters to Kill In Your Story | LA SCREENWRITER
There’s been a tremendous amount of discussion about killing characters this week, as HBO revealed whether a key character on Game of Thrones was actually dead or alive. The discussion had merit, as HBO, and especially Game of Thrones, has a habit of killing off significant characters in their narratives.
If You Are Having Fun, You Are Doing It Wrong | FAST CO.CREATE
The legendary screenwriting veteran behind Se7en has a new film coming out, and a lot to say about not letting the industry eat you alive.
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- Screenplay: The foundations of screenwriting
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- Screenwriting: The sequence approach
- 33 Ways to sell your screenplay
- The eight characters of comedy
SELF-PUBLISHING
- Print Only Products: Turn Your Book Into A Notebook or WorkBook | THE CREATIVE PENN
The key to making a living with your writing is to have multiple streams of income, and although indie authors usually make more money with digital than print, there are ways to expand your print portfolio even with existing books.
- Goodbye Kindle Unlimited | JUST PUBLISHING ADVICE
Kindle Unlimited was worth a try, but after 12 months, no thank you.
29 New Ways To Sell More Books Right Now | CREATIVINDIE
What are some specific steps we can take to continue to drive sales our self (beyond being lucky enough to get a book bub). It might be nice to brainstorm a list of “lesser known” strategies.
Twitter For Indie Authors: Tips To Succeed on Twitter In 2016 | AUTHOR MARKETING EXPERTS
I know that Twitter can seem like an overwhelming jumble of conversations, which is why I’ve created the following guidelines to help you understand what types of content to share, how to network, and tools to tweet effectively!
Social Networking Is Out–Attention Grabbing Is In | JUST PUBLISHING ADVICE
Social media and social networking are waning, but grabbing attention is booming.
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