• The do's and don'ts of writing character dialogue.

    The Do’s and Don’ts of Dialogue

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    From an early age, we’re taught that good description is the key to excellent writing. I’d argue that well-written dialogue is the true key to writing. A description will never move your story forward in the same way dialogue can. It’s not as hard to write dialogue as you might think. Plus, once you’ve mastered it, the rest of your book will fall into place. The pacing will increase and you’ll find yourself clicking away on your keyboard to keep up with your characters’ conversations. The Do’s and Don’ts Do use quotation marks at the beginning and end of a…

  • How to Pick the Right Title for Your Book

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    The moment has finally arrived: you’ve finished writing the book you’ve dreamed of and labored over devotedly. Now the time has come to brand it with a title and send it out into the world. But what will you call it? How can just a few words embody everything about your glorious book? Fear not, for we have a few fail-proof tips that can help you get started on the journey of picking a concise and catchy title for your book. Hook the Reader You want the title to be something epic and unforgettable. It should jump out at readers…

  • Writing Strong Female Characters

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    In an age of Women’s Marches and calls for equal pay for women, the question of femininity and what makes a strong woman is in the spotlight. Art reflects life, and the presence of strong female characters in fiction is in high demand, as girls and women alike look for characters to read about and emulate, from Elizabeth Bennet to Laura Ingalls Wilder to Hermione Granger. So how can you ensure that your work includes strong female characters? For that matter, what is a strong female character? Strong female characters are not perfect. Strong characters, regardless of gender, have character flaws…

  • Creating Steady Flow in Dialogue

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    People like to talk, and if you listen to some everyday conversations you will hear some common patterns: lots of “like” and “um”, pointless repetition, interjections of completely unrelated topics, and unfinished or incomplete sentences. This is all fine in real life but would never work in your writing—and this is the core of why capturing dialogue that feels authentic but completes its purpose is so difficult. Whether you are writing your memoir or a fictional novel, these tips will help your dialogue flow and feel more finished. 1. Cut Out the Day-to-Day All dialogue must move the story forward,…