This week, Ruth Harris offers sage advice on writing that ever daunting blurb. Over at the Kill Zone, James Scott Bell carves out a middle ground for plotters and pantsers while PJ Parrish ponders what comes first, plot or character.
Speaking of characters, Donald Maass encourages us to create fully realized characters by first being real with ourselves. Rebecca D’Harlingue offers advice on dual-timeline plots, Steve Myers argues that our protagonist’s outer journey is fundamentally an inner journey, and Barnes and Noble’s restructuring might be the comeback story of the year.
All that and little more. Enjoy!
How to Improve Your Writing Skills: Take Your Writing from Good to Great by Nicole Dieker
How to Write the D*mn Blurb by Ruth Harris
Writing About the Pandemic—or Not? by Paula Munier
Plot or Character: What’s Your Starting Point? by PJ Parrish
Five Questions to Ask Before Starting a Dual Timeline Novel by Rebecca D’Harlingue
Plotting for Pantsers and Pantsing for Plotters by James Scott Bell
B&N Rides a Wave of Positive Trends by Jim Milliot
Have Print ARCs Become a Hot Commodity? by Weronika Strzyżyńska
The Inward Path of the Protagonist’s Journey by Scott Myers
Purple Prose and the Word Surgeon’s Scalpel by Tom Bentley
Creating Character Safety Zones by Donald Maass