Often the difference between a good story and a great story is a well-written character. You can have the best possible plot replete with twists and turns that not even Sherlock Holmes could see coming, but you will waste your efforts unless you have a character as strong as Sherlock Holmes. A strong character is…
How to Get in Writing Shape After a Long Break – Eva Wislow | Guest Post
It happens to almost every writer. You take a break from writing, with every intention of coming back to it after a few days or weeks. And then life happens, and that break turns into months or even years. Of course, even if you haven’t written a single word in years, there is nothing stopping…
Top 5 Tips for Writing a Graphic Novel – Jessica Gust | Guest Post
Millions upon millions of people worldwide read graphic novels; from comic book shops to Hollywood’s new found obsession with the comic book hero, graphic novels have never been as popular as they are now. As a kid who loved comic books and always held the secret dream of writing and creating your own heroes and…
The Importance of an Author’s Online Reputation – Caroline Black | Guest Post
Everybody is a writer these days. With a website, a blog or even a personal Facebook page, there are a lot of people out there trying to get what they’ve got to say out into the world. Between the big social media platforms (and even the smaller ones), public relations nightmares abound. Why does this…
Tips for Independent Authors on Optimizing their Website – Emma Miller | Guest Post
Whether you think it is the best thing since sliced bread or you hate it with burning passion, the reality is that the internet has become an inseparable part of our lives. As we have all learned over these last 20-odd years, the Age of Internet comes with all kinds of strings attached and for…
How to Deal with Negative Book Reviews – Kelly Smith | Guest Post
No matter how great your book is, some people are bound to dislike it. It really bites, but that’s reality for you. For every great review, you’re going to get a negative review. In fact, some good reviews may also consider flaws that a reader found with your book. Knowing how to handle the situation…
A Writer’s Journey from Rough Draft to Publication: How to Survive It – Stephanie Norman | Guest Post
If there’s a single phrase that can describe a writer’s passion when working on the first draft, it would be inspired by Churchill’s words: “blood, toil, tears, and sweat.” Writing can be a torturous process. You have great ideas in your head, but the fact that you can’t capture them all on paper is devastating.…
10 Common Habits of Successful Published Authors – John Cabrera | Guest Post
One of the most appealing aspects of becoming a writer is that for most it’s a pursuit of passion. From an immature I-got-A’s-in-all-my-English-classes standpoint it may seem like one of the easiest and enjoyable professions. This naivety is quickly defeated when a writer learns that, while there is a magic in writing, there is also…
7 Simple Tricks To Become A Successful Self-Editor – Lesley Vos | Guest Post
You are a writer. It’s awesome! You are creative. You brainstorm articles and stories plots. You beat writer’s blocks and burnouts, you write compelling content, you publish books, and… You hate editing. Why should you like it, after all? Spelling and grammar mistakes are the work for editors, no? No. The chances are I will…
Writing Habits of Brilliant Writers – Veronica Hunt | Guest Post
You are wrong if you think that brilliant writers have never faced writer’s block and fear of the blank page. These people had a daily battle to motivate themselves and there is no such writing newbie who hasn’t ever experienced such a strong need to finish a passage or a chapter. And maybe this is…