[perfectpullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””] I was working on the proof of one of my poems all the morning, and took out a comma. In the afternoon I put it back again. -Oscar Wilde. [/perfectpullquote]
WRITING
Emotional Wounds Thesaurus: A family member’s suicide | WRITERS HELPING WRITERS
Emotional Wounds Thesaurus: A family member’s suicide | 
Wh
en 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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The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide To Character Expression
- 5 Secrets of complex supporting characters | HELPING WRITERS BECOME AUTHORS
5 Secrets of complex supporting characters Su
pporting characters don’t get nearly enough love.
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- The 5 key turning points in your novel | LIVE WRITE THRIVE
The 5 key turning points in your novel | If you frame up your story first with these ten scenes, you can add the next ten, and the next, building 
layers and filling in cracks.
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- Mastering different writing styles: 7 Tips | NOW NOVEL
Mastering different writing styles: 7 Tips | Di
fferent writing styles are preferred in different genres. A romcom differs stylistically from a taut thriller. These 7 tips will help you improve your own style.
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- How to use possessives to show ownership | THE WRITE PRACTICE
Possessives are a funny thing. When used correctly, they add much-needed clarity to our sentences. But they seem to confound our apostrophe rules. Let’s sort out this grammar conundrum, shall we?
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- Rewriting the 7 rules of dialogue | WRITER’S DIGEST
Rewriting the 7 rules of dialogue |
M
ost of us have heard the typical advice about writing dialogue—make sure your characters don’t all sound the same, include only what’s essential, opt for the word said over other dialogue tags, and so on.
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How to write dazzling dialogue
- Why your character’s chilhood dreams matter | THE WRITE PRACTICE
We often struggle to create realistic characters; they don’t always seem believable. We can 
usually recognize characters that feel two-dimensional, but we don’t always know why.
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Creating unforgettable characters
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- 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
- Are there any script rules that really shouldn’t be broken? | GO INTO THE STORY
I don’t think there are any rules for screenwriting. There are important principles, and dozens of tips and techniques. There is also a lot of ‘conventional wisdom’ floating around that gets transmogrified into being perceived as rules, and that is where the problem lies.
- How to express a script theme in 3 acts | SCRIPT MAG
We all know every good screenplay should have a well-formulated theme — a sense of the story’s DNA and what it’s really at heart about — but there are many different interpretations out there as to what a theme actually is.
- 12 Words to leave out of period screenplays | LA SCREENWRITER
Etymology is the study of the history of words. It’s something surprisingly few writers know much about, considering that words are all we actually have to work with. However, knowing where a word originated and the era it came out of can be of much use in telling truthful stories.
- The hero’s journey vs superhero stories | GO INTO THE STORY
Typically the hero is an ordinary individual. These stories have their roots historically in helping prepare youths for various initiation rites and rituals.
- Writing advice you might not want to hear | KEN LEVINE
Writing advice you might not want to hear | TV episodes are highly structured. As a showrunner, this is my method and thinking.
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- Screenplay: The foundations of screenwriting
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- 33 Ways to sell your screenplay
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SELF-PUBLISHING
- Why it’s a good idea to have one website, even when you do multiple things | JENNIFER BLANCHARD
In the Digital Age, there is power in being YOU. There is no one else in the world exactly like you–there never has been and there never will be.
Before you start a podcast: 4 tips for authors | JANE FRIEDMAN
In a crowded publishing environment, author-hosted podcasts are a unique and potentially effective marketing tool.
Are your readers getting digital fatigue… and, are you? | THE BOOK DESIGNER
Back in 2012, I shared with my own author community that I suspected that “e” …or digital books would begin to decline in sales. In 2013, “e” sales were reporting a decline that has continued.
How to write evergreen author blogs and why you should | JUST PUBLISHING ADVICE
Evergreen blog posts stay fresh for years, not for days.
Why should you put in your email newsletter | JANE FRIEDMAN
If you struggle with what to write in an email, you’re not alone. You may be publishing two to three books a year, or writing blog posts three to five times a week, but email seems to build a crazy mental roadblock to creativity. The self-doubt and negativity shifts into overdrive.
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