Tag Archives: dana isaacson

Articles, Blog, Craft, Opinion, Writing and Publishing

About This Writing Stuff…

This week, take some lessons in suspense from the master himself, Alfred Hitchcock.

Speaking of lessons, Amy Wilson and Anne R. Allen offer advice about writing effective dialogue while Maggie Smith teaches us several ways to make our secondary characters stand out. Over at Mythcreants, Chris Winkle discusses passive voice and how to create a story outline.

The nice folks at Good Story Company show us how to build a better author website and at BookBub, it’s all about promotion and crafting a captivating book description.

All that and a little more. Enjoy!

Using Dialogue Tags Effectively by Amy Wilson

Electrify Your Thriller with These Tips from the Master of Suspense, Alfred Hitchcock by Dana Isaacson

Writing Under a Pseudonym by Good Story Company

How to Write a Book Description: Tips from BookBub Editors by Lauren Aldrich

What Fiction Writers Should Know About Passive Voice by Chris Winkle

How to Outline Your Story by Chris Winkle

From Sidekick to Scene-Stealer: Making Your Secondary Characters Memorable by Maggie Smith

Who Should Be Telling This Story? by Jeanne Kisacky

9 Common Dialogue Problems and How to Fix Them by Anne R. Allen

10 Author Websites and Why They Work by Good Story Company

12 Fantastic BookBub Ad Designs Promoting New Releases by Shailee Shah

25 Authors Running Fantastic Book Promotions on Instagram by Shailee Shah

Articles, Blog, Craft, Opinion, Writing and Publishing

About This Writing Stuff…

New on the monthly roundup, Philip Athans reminds us that writing is a lifelong calling while Kristen Lamb reviews different aspects of world-building.

Tiffany Yates Martin examines the elements that go into creating complex characters. Speaking of which, what makes characters “likeable”? That depends on genre, as Anne R. Allen explains.

Over at Career Authors, Hank Phillippi Ryan and Dana Isaacson provide advice on self-editing while Daryl Wood Gerber helps us avoid burnout while writing a series.

From Writer Unboxed, Donald Maass delves into the inner workings of story imagination and Kathryn Craft encourages us to visualize our scenes not as authors, but as our characters.

All that a lot more. Enjoy!

Are You a “Lifer”? by Philip Athans

Beyond Character Goal and Motivation – The Longing and the Lack by Tiffany Yates Martin

17 BookBub As Designs Promoting Books in a Series by Carlyn Robertson

DIY Author Marketing 101 by Michal Leah

Why “Likeable” Characters Depend on Genre by Anne R. Allen

10 Things Beginning Writers Must Do by Anne R. Allen

5 Tips to Pick Up the Pace by Dana Isaacson

Copy Editing Secrets by Hank Phillippi Ryan

5 Tips to Keep a Series Fresh by Daryl Wood Gerber

World-Building: Captivate Readers and Never Let Go by Kristen Lamb

Seeing Through a Character’s Eyes: Literally by Kathryn Craft

Three Modes of Story Imagination by Donald Maass

Trademark Tips for Writers – How to Protect Your Creative Work by Matt Knight

Writing Mistakes: Choosing Between Plotting vs. Pantsing by Michael Woodson

10 Relaxing Activities to Rediscover Your Writing Voice by Miles Oliver

 

Articles, Blog, Craft, Opinion, Writing and Publishing

About This Writing Stuff…

This week, James Scott Bell offers practical advice on crafting stronger scenes. At Writer Unboxed, Donald Maass examines what it means to write authentic characters while Kathryn Craft urges us to elevate our descriptions from the prosaic to the extraordinary.

Lincoln Michel sheds light on nearly every facet of being a professional writer, Janice Hardy discusses character agency, and over at TIME, Megan McCluskey exposes the career-damaging extortion and fraudulent book reviews running rampant on Goodreads.

All that and a lot more. Enjoy!

Everything I’ve Learned About Being a “Professional” Writer in One Post  by Lincoln Michel

How Extortion Scams and Review Bombing Trolls Turned Goodreads Into Many Authors’ Worst Nightmare  by Megan McCluskey

Three Easy Ways to Strengthen a Scene  by James Scott Bell

4 Ways to Develop Character Agency  by Janice Hardy

Aim for the Extra in the Ordinary  by Kathryn Craft

6 Twisty Ways to Trick Your Reader  by Dana Isaacson

How to Avoid Repeating ‘I’ in First Person Writing  by Louise Harnby

How to Bring History Alive in Your Fiction  by Dana Cameron

The Walking Stick  by Donald Maass

From Mary Shelley to Carmen Maria Machado, Women Have Profoundly Shaped Horror  by Danielle Binks

 

Articles, Blog, Craft, Opinion

About This Writing Stuff…

This week, Debbie Burke lists a dozen ways to tighten our prose while Jael R. Bakari provides an insightful guide to story development.

Dana Isaacson offers advice on keeping track of our story’s timeline, Paula Munier shows us ways to make readers fall in love with our protagonists from the first scene, and Chris Winkle discusses why some protagonists are unlikeable.

If you’re perplexed by the true meaning of premise, let Larry Brooks clear up the confusion and explain how the facets of premise should be applied to every story.

All that and a little more. Enjoy!

12 Tips to Write Tight by Debbie Burke via Anne R. Allen

Suspense in Books: 6 Ways to Grow Anticipation by Now Novel

Charting a Fictional Timeline by Dana Isaacson

Writing Process: Developing a Coherent Story by Jael R. Bakari via Jami Gold

The Grand Entrance: How to Introduce Your Protagonist so that Readers Care by Paula Munier

Seven Common Reasons Protagonists Are Unlikable by Chris Winkle

Why I Actually Prefer Stories with Prologues by Vaughn Roycroft

How to Start Writing Again When You Haven’t in a While by Sarah Gribble

How to Use Vivid Verbs to Bring Your Scenes to Life by J.D. Edwin

How to Mine the Facets of Premise for Story Gold by Larry Brooks

How to Use Simple Psychology and Basic Common Sense to Sell More Books by Barb Drodzowich via Anne R. Allen

 

 

 

 

 

Articles, Blog, Craft, Opinion, Writing and Publishing

About This Writing Stuff…

This week, Anne R. Allen reminds us that a story is more than just a series of disjointed, tragic episodes. Brian Andrews encourages us to use strong opening lines while Dana Isaacson, Barbara O’Neal, and Kim Bullock offer ideas for writing through these disconcerting times.

Jami Gold lists various ways a character’s occupation can be used to enhance a story and Terry Odell urges us to foreshadow some of our character’s skills before revealing them in a pivotal scene.

All that and a little more. Enjoy!

Promoting Your Sci-Fi or Fantasy Novel on Social Media by Erica Verrillo

The Biggest Writing Craft Issue New Novelists Face, and 7 Ways to Avoid It by Anne R. Allen

How to Write a Powerful, Enticing, Intriguing, Amazing Opening Line for Your Novel by Brian Andrews

How to Write (or Not Write) about the Pandemic by Dana Isaacson

How to Write During a Pandemic, Even if it Feels Like You Can’t by Barbara O’Neal

What’s Our Character’s Job? by Jami Gold

If They Buy the Premise by Terry Odell

Description Makeover: Creating Magical Atmosphere by Chris Winkle

Crime Fiction is Complicit in Police Violence—But It’s Not Too Late to Change by Aya de Leon

Trademarks and the Writer’s Brand Strategy by Matt Knight

Writing Througnh Turbulent Times: Using Uncertainty to Enhance Your Story by Kim Bullock

A Plotstorming Technique by Jan O’Hara

 

 

 

Articles, Blog, Craft, Opinion, Writing and Publishing

About This Writing Stuff…

2 Comments

This week, Ava Jae looks at simple POV mistakes to avoid, while Jo Eberhart explains the difference between foreshadowing and callbacks and how each can be used in your story.

Over at the Kill Zone, James Scott Bell calls out writing flubs that throw readers out of stories, Mythcreant writer Oren Ashkenazi offers tips on creating immersive fantasy settings, and Susan Perabo expounds a method for developing characters with background and experiences entirely different from your own.

All that and a little more. Enjoy!

10 Books Every Leader Should Read to Be Successful by Deep Patel

Amazon Author Insights – Understand Your Formatting Options by Honorée Corder

Is 99¢ Too Cheap a Price for Your Book? by Dana Isaacson

Different Kinds of POV Slips and How to Avoid Them by Ava Jae

Foreshadowing vs. Callbacks by Jo Eberhardt

Creating Fully Developed Fictional Characters (That Are Not Secretly You) by Susan Perabo

Stuff That Takes Readers Out of a Story by James Scott Bell

Six Tips to Make Your Fantasy Setting More Immersive by Oren Ashkenazi

The New Face of Vanity Anthologies: Z Publishing House and Appelley Publishing by Victoria Strauss

Agatha Christie was Investigated by MI5 Over Bletchley Park Mystery by Richard Norton-Taylor

Snoopy Writing Again