Damaged Characters One time I caught the season finale to a show that finds needy families and then rebuilds or…

Today, I want to talk about the ending of your novel or short story.  Most new writers don’t have a problem…

For many authors, writing itself is a mystical act. They don’t understand what impulses drive them to write, they can’t…

Here are some ideas to help you increase your ability to write and to brainstorm. 1) Learn your own biorhythms.…

Have you ever thought about the fact that when you submit your lovingly written novel to a major publisher, you…

Last week I got sepsis, a serious infection that is carried through the body by the blood, and landed in…

Every new writer, and quite a few old ones, is familiar with that sinking feeling that happens when you start…

When I fell in love with the idea of writing, it was after reading my favorite novel of all time.…

Once I was rewriting a scene, listening closely to the sound and rhythm of the words in a passage, looking…

On the door at my gym, someone hung a sign that says, “Motivation is what gets you started. Habit keeps…

The most productive writers, I’ve noticed, aren’t necessarily the ones with the most talent or the greatest skills. They may…

As the lead judge for one of the world’s largest writing contests, I read a lot of stories. Very seldom…

Sometimes people ask me questions such as, “If there were just one thing that I needed to know to become a great…

Whenever you express an idea, you can look at the poetry of your language, your use of diction, your originality,…

Wonder literature may be the most popular literature in the world. You probably don’t know that, because the truth is…

Years ago I watched a panel on literary criticism. Just as the panel was concluding, one . . . fellow…

A few days ago, I saw a Facebook post from a woman who complained that she didn’t want to see…

Have you ever found that you’re reading a book and suddenly your eyes glaze over? Have you asked yourself what…

Have you ever heard Churchill’s saying, “Perfection is the enemy to progress”? As a writer, I suspect that you know…

Stories should move forward, not backward. This might seem like a pretty basic idea, but sometimes a writer feels “stalled”…

Over twenty-five years ago I began editing professionally. I began by doing volunteer work as an editor for literary magazines,…

  It’s always good before you begin to write to really understand who your audience is and what their needs…

Three weeks ago I was talking to a movie producer in Hollywood that is trying to set up a couple…

One of my Facebook friends today put up a message that said, “Fewer people would take up writing if they…

People are attracted to motion, particularly physical motion. But when describing a setting, some things are pretty resistant to moving.…

Ten years ago, we used to talk about how to take your book viral through social media, but recently I…

Write – Publish – Profit Bundle This week I’m contributing to this bundle of writing courses, which includes my Writing…

If you are producing anything—toy dolls, bread, vacuum cleaners, or novels—there are some variables that you have to work with.…

There are certain books (and cars, and foods, and vacations) that somehow demand to be talked about. You know what…

I have a saying, “There are a ten thousand right ways to write any story, but there are a million…

Recently, I discussed how to deal with a sagging middle in a novel. Here are a couple more tips that…

Many authors don’t believe that there is such a thing as “Writer’s Block.” They will gleefully point out that plumbers…

In the past few weeks, the writing community across the nation has been rocked by accusations of sexual harassment and…

Taking Control I know a lot of writers who feel that they don’t have control of their writing lives. After…

I’m helping a friend work on a story right now, and it’s a rather strange one. It’s the story of…

There comes a time when you’ve turned the corner on your story opening, and you feel like you’ve got it…

In the past couple of weeks, I’ve had several of my writing students report some great success in attracting agents…

Years ago, I sat down to write and just didn’t feel up to it; I woke up with a backache…

Very often as a reader, I’ll come across a story that is well written in many regards: The characters have…

It’s fairly common for editors to want to change titles. Sometimes a title might be too much like that of…

For a few articles, I’ve been talking about how to make your story come alive by appealing to the reader’s…

Today at the Writers of the Future workshop, I assigned a dozen new writers to go finish a short story…

Very often I have new writers ask if I will pass their work along to an agent or editor, sort…

Last week I wrote about appealing to the senses and stated that humans have more than just the five sensory…

Most writers don’t know how to write prose that entangles a reader’s imagination. Envision a reader picking up your novel.…

A lot of people “play” at writing. We tend to think of it as a hobby or a pastime. But…

When you send a novel to an agent or publisher, they normally ask for the first five or ten pages,…

There are a lot of people who want to write so that they can get rich quickly, and I worry…

The High Price of Magic Everything in life carries a price. It’s a law so universally understood that we feel…

The most popular books and movies of all time all have one thing in common: They transport audiences better than…

Recently I met Orson Scott Card, and he asked me if I’m still teaching writing classes. I said yes, and…

Here is a recent question from Drew Briney: “I’ve seen conflicting advice as to whether or not it is okay…

I got this question from Jim: “So much advice to writers is about suspense, or scene goals, or characters overcoming…

A couple of weeks ago, I invited writers to ask a few questions. Here is one: “Thanks for this chance.…

Kevin said, “There’s so much that I don’t know when it comes to writing and publishing, but after three books…

Once I read a couple of stories where it felt as if the author was struggling to come up with…

I hate the word “resolute.” Whenever I think of it, I think of soldiers circa 1800, marching resolutely into battle,…

Over the past two weeks I’ve seen a lot of people on Facebook talking about The Last Jedi, the latest…

A few months after teaching my Writing Enchanting Prose workshops last year, I got letters from three of the participants.…

One Sunday my wife suggested that we go for a hike, and we convinced my son Forrest to come with…

Workshop News After January 2nd we will not be taking new registrations for the online workshops for a bit. Dave…

Often, new writers will ask, “How much income do you need in order to start a writing career?” The answers…

A log line, or logline, is a simple description of a story that is only a sentence long.  It boils…

Last night I watched the popular television show The Voice—a singing competition that has been running now for thirteen seasons.…

When you’re writing a screenplay or a book, one of the first things that a writer may do is create…

In his book on screenwriting, George Lucas briefly discusses the difference in approach between writing a movie or a book.…

When a writer sits down to compose, the less stress he feels, the better. Every writer knows this. When you’re…

Every author is impatient for good news. We’re all working toward something. You might be working toward your first sale,…

I’m writing a little series of tips about writer’s block. One form of writer’s block comes from being stressed. This…

  I was asked to read a screenplay several years ago. It opened with two minutes during which it explained…

The Writer’s Peak Workshop in Provo, Utah is NEXT WEEK! And it’s not too late to register. You can learn…

Two weeks ago, I mentioned that I was going to write a series about how the best stories don’t just…

When we were little kids, the world seemed full of endless possibilities. My mom told me that I could grow…

Over the past three decades I’ve helped a number of writers reach the point where they’ve become international bestsellers, and…

Stories can do a lot of things. We use them often to entertain others, sometimes to elevate mood, but sometimes…

Remember when you were young and your mother or father read a favorite story to you over and over? Or…

Some works of fiction seem more energetic, more exciting, and more profound than others. It’s as if the author has…

Are you waiting to be discovered? All of us writers are. Maybe you’re a new writer hoping for praise from…

You may not know it, but you’re a racehorse. If you look at writers from a publisher’s point of view,…

Many new writers don’t know when to stop polishing a manuscript and move on to the next. Part of the…

The most productive writers, I’ve noticed, aren’t necessarily the ones with the most talent or the greatest skills. They may…

Recently I’ve had a number of my students ask, “What makes a story great?” For example, what sets apart a…

Years ago while I was writing some little Star Wars books for Scholastic, my editor, David Levithan called and said…

For many authors, our fear of failure dissuades us from writing. I believe that this is the source of most…

Let’s face it, many writers actually avoid writing. In fact, I know lots of writers who have given up completely,…

As a new writer, you may not be able to imagine why anyone would want to hack you. After all,…

Writers love to gossip about editors, agents, and publishers. Much of the time, that gossip is pretty harmless, but sometimes…

Lately I’ve heard a lot of people grousing about cultural appropriation. That’s where an author writes a story set in…

Lately I’ve been talking a bit about some of the attributes that one will find in a perfect story.  One…

Many writers begin their writing journey and choose to focus on gaining the skills they need to become publishable. In…

Today I was listening to author Nedi Okorafor—winner of the Hugo, the Nebula, and the World Fantasy award, and she…

A perfect story coalesces.  Its many parts eventually form an organic whole that makes sense to the audience and reveals…

Last week I was supposed to be at FanX in Salt Lake City, but I got sick and had to…

The perfect story escalates smoothly from scene to scene, creating a sense of rising action. I’ve spoken before about ways…

If you’re going to become a professional writer, you need to make sure that you can support yourself while you…

A perfect story guides the reader’s attention—his senses, thoughts, emotions, and imagination. Once I was reading a story by a…

As a writer, are you willing to take the steps that you need to, in order to succeed? The other…

Many wannabe writers are pretty sedentary. We tend to watch too much television, read too much, play video games too…

I’ve been working on a series of articles on what constitutes a perfect story, and so far I’ve concentrated on…

In writing a novel, one must consider, “What makes a perfect character?” Very often I’ve heard writing instructors mention that…

Some virtues that would be found in a perfect story almost go without saying.  For example, a perfect tale would…

In considering the virtues of a perfect tale, some things come to mind that ought to be mentioned but that…

Years ago, I had a reporter call and ask, “If you could have any job in the world, what would…

Most writers don’t know how to write prose that entangles a reader’s imagination. Envision a reader picking up your novel.…

A lot of people “play” at writing. We tend to think of it as a hobby or a pastime. But…

I began writing this series because I talk to literally thousands of people each year who want to embark on…

Lately I’ve been discussing some of the positive attributes that you will find in a “perfect” story.  There are a lot…

I’ve been talking about some of the attributes that I would look for in a perfect story, whether it be…

It seems that in the past few weeks I’ve heard from a lot of people who want to write so…

There is a saying among writers: “When you write a book, the first words of the novel will sell that…

After I finished my first series, I still found that I had a lot to learn.  As a reader, I’ve…

When I opened the Runelords series, I knew that I didn’t want one of those endless book series that just…

When you’re a writer, there are a lot of jobs in the field that are somewhat related.  I’ve worked on…

When you’re telling a story, they say that “God is in the details.”  In other words, the more details you…

In 1998 and 1999, I found myself in an odd place.  I had advised one of my publishers to push…

Most writers kill their own careers.  For decades now I’ve studied promising new writers, and sometimes after a writer makes…

Like many of you, when I began writing I started a couple of novels but soon discovered that there was a…

My first fantasy novel took off in a way that I had hoped, and I suddenly found myself with a…

A good friend of mine wrote five novels before he got the courage to submit one to a publisher.  (It…

From the time that I was a teen, I’d wanted to write a fantasy series.  In fact, my first two…

One book that I frequently recommend for writers is Orson Scott Card’s Characters and Viewpoint.  I do it for a…

Many authors, when they “get serious” about writing, discover that their attitude will suck all of the fun out of…

Today’s writing tip comes from Alex Bloom, the founder of Script Reader Pro, a screenplay consultancy and blog based in Los…

I knew that the second book in my Serpent Catch series was doomed.  There were three indicators. The first was…

Once in a panel, I was asked, “Who inspired you to become a writer.” I’ve been asked that question many times…

I felt gratified that my first novel was well received, but I discovered that no matter how well you think…

As we read stories, we are constantly making judgments.  We may admire an author’s style, even as we are annoyed…