There’s great value in taking a dispassionate look at your recent draft of a novel and assigning a description. When…

Right now I’m editing a novel that is about 200,000 words long but her agent wants the book to be…

In my Writing Enchanting Prose workshops I teach my students to open a story in such a way that it…

Tuesday I explained a little bit about how the term “resonance” is used in literature. In music we use it…

For the past few days I’ve been talking about how you can try to maximize the size of your audience…

As a new writer, you might not have given a great deal of thought to audience analysis. I’ve known good…

When you write a novel, the chances are good that the publisher will hire editors to massage your text. There…

One time I taught a writing workshop in Salt Lake City and spent some time reading stories. In the past,…

Many writers will recommend that as you edit your tale, you do a final read-through so that you can see…

The first thing that I seek in a great story is originality. You may not realize it, but the most…

Have you ever watched a butterfly in flight and tried to figure out where it will go next? The butterfly…

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

A writer once came to me saying that his critique group often tells him, “You’re almost there, but you need…

I once received the following question in the mail from one of our readers, “I am hoping to take one…

Sometimes as writers, when we give writing advice, we often give advice by telling “How I write” instead of “How…

In my book Million Dollar Outlines I discuss some of the markers that can help me discover if a book…

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

In Hollywood, it is said that “There are only two ways to make a likeable character.” Here are those two…

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

Sometimes you’re not in the mood to write, but you know that you should.  Maybe you’ve set a goal and…

One form of writer’s block comes from being stressed. This is almost always a temporary condition, and there are ways…

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

A writer who had just begun brainstorming a novel wrote to me several years ago. He had an idea for…

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

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

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

Many writers never have a problem with writer’s block, and so we sometimes say, “There’s no such thing.” But that’s…

When you’re writing a long novel, sometimes as a writer you feel that you are getting stuck in a rut,…

Several years ago I visited the Salt Lake Comic Con. In one panel, I was asked, “Who inspired you to…

Several years ago I visited the Salt Lake Comic Con. In one panel, I was asked, “Who inspired you to…

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

Silk Road Takedown has been a project of Curtis Green, myself, and Diann Thornley Read for the past several months,…

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

As a teacher and contest judge, I see a lot of stories from beginning writers. Very often the new author…

When you’re creating a well-rounded character, one of the great secrets behind understanding the character comes from understanding the character’s…

When you write a story, you often have to ask yourself, “Is this tale good enough to send to editors…

I went to Midland, Texas over the weekend. On a taxi ride from the airport, the driver asked what I…

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…