#writinglessons — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #writinglessons, aggregated by home.social.
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How to Show a Character’s Fear in Real Time
Fear is much more than an emotion—it is one of the biggest influencers of human behavior. Whenever we encounter a situation with unknowns, fear kicks in. Even if we do not yet know what is triggering our unease, our senses heighten, our blood pressure rises, and we go on high alert, searching for possible threats....
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https://writershelpingwriters.net/2026/08/show-a-characters-fear-in-real-time/ -
Omniscient POV: Pitfalls and Best Practices
A surprising number of first novels land on my desk as an editor that are written in omniscient point of view. I say surprising because I find it by far the most complicated POV to get right—and it has largely fallen out of favor. Contemporary readers tend to crave a more direct and immersive experience...
The post Omniscient POV: Pitfalls and Best Practices appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.
https://writershelpingwriters.net/2026/08/omniscient-pov/#PointofView #ResidentWritingCoach #WritingCraft #WritingLessons
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Strengthen Your Story by Throwing Rocks at Your Characters
If there’s one thing we all know, it’s that life is stressful. Each day, we’re bombarded with obstacles, challenges, and upsets. We navigate what we can, go to bed, and do it all again the next day. Do we like stress? No. But adversity builds resiliency. Problem-solving under pressure means we push onward, try new...
The post Strengthen Your Story by Throwing Rocks at Your Characters appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.
https://writershelpingwriters.net/2026/07/throw-rocks-at-your-characters/ -
How to Amp Up a “Boring” Story Setting
Taking the time to choose the right setting for each scene is one of the best ways to ensure our writing has impact. Why? Because the setting touches everything. It can characterize the story’s cast, evoke mood, generate conflict, shape the plot, and even use symbols and emotional triggers to show readers what the protagonist...
The post How to Amp Up a “Boring” Story Setting appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.
https://writershelpingwriters.net/2026/07/amp-up-a-boring-story-setting/ -
Writing Fantasy: What Not To Do
Fantasy is my first love, full stop. You need to know this, because otherwise you might think I sound a bit cranky. Many elements are in play in a well-written fantasy novel, but I’m going to focus on some potent DO-NOTs (the potentially cranky-sounding part). But trust me—avoiding the following pitfalls will strengthen your fantasy...
The post Writing Fantasy: What Not To Do appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.
https://writershelpingwriters.net/2026/07/writing-fantasy/#Fantasy #ResidentWritingCoach #Worldbuilding #WritingCraft #WritingLessons
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Will Your Story Keep Readers Hooked?
I’m reading a novel right now. It started out okay, but somewhere around chapter five, I noticed I was skimming—just moving my eyes across the page as fast as I could, trying to get to the next thing. And here’s what I know about myself as a reader: when I’m truly hooked on a story,...
The post Will Your Story Keep Readers Hooked? appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.
https://writershelpingwriters.net/2026/07/will-your-story-keep-readers-hooked/#ReaderInterest #Reading #ResidentWritingCoach #WritingCraft #WritingLessons
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How to Twist Office Romance Into Fresh Conflict
Have you ever gone to a new restaurant, ordered a burger, and discovered it has some sort of luscious, zippy sauce that elevates the entire meal into the ecstasy zone? Amazing, right? Well, Becca and I call conflict a story’s “secret sauce” because it does the same thing – elevates the situation in a way...
The post How to Twist Office Romance Into Fresh Conflict appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.
https://writershelpingwriters.net/2026/06/twist-office-romance-into-conflict/#Conflict #Occupations #Relationships #WritingCraft #WritingLessons
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Falling in Love: Types of Romance Stories
From subgenres to tropes and beyond, there are many ways to categorize a romance story. We may not know exactly what type of story we’re writing while drafting (especially if we tend to write by the seat of our pants), but once we type “The End,” we do need to figure out what we’ve created....
The post Falling in Love: Types of Romance Stories appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.
https://writershelpingwriters.net/2026/06/types-of-romance-stories/ -
How to Generate Better Story Ideas Using the Ones That Don’t Work
Generating ideas is the most underrated skill in a novelist’s toolkit—more essential than an appetite for cold-blooded revision, a head for structure, or a gift for dialogue. Generating more story possibilities within a single manuscript separates a competent draft from a novel with depth, complexity, and staying power. So how do you come up with...
The post How to Generate Better Story Ideas Using the Ones That Don’t Work appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.
https://writershelpingwriters.net/2026/06/how-to-generate-better-story-ideas/#ResidentWritingCoach #StoryIdeas #WritingCraft #WritingLessons
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Five Truths I Learned Editing Hundreds of Books That Might Change Your Life
As a Book Coach and developmental editor, I work on hundreds of books with writers each year, in full or in part. I give feedback on drafts, debuts, and nearly polished manuscripts written by writers tackling their third, fourth, or even tenth book. Because I follow the journeys of so many writers, I’m in a...
The post Five Truths I Learned Editing Hundreds of Books That Might Change Your Life appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.
https://writershelpingwriters.net/2026/05/five-truths-i-learned-editing-hundreds-of-books/#ResidentWritingCoach #RevisionandEditing #WritingCraft #WritingLessons
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The Art of Withholding Information
As authors we hold all the cards when it comes to how and when we reveal key information to our readers. Withholding certain details can create intrigue and set up twists the reader doesn’t see coming. But if we aren’t careful, our readers might feel confused or cheated and consider our purposeful withholding as breaking...
The post The Art of Withholding Information appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.
https://writershelpingwriters.net/2026/05/art-of-withholding-information/#CharacterSecrets #ResidentWritingCoach #WritingCraft #WritingLessons
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Iconic writer Kurt Vonnegut’s simple graphs show how to write the 3 stories everyone loves
https://web.brid.gy/r/https://www.upworthy.com/kurt-vonnegut-how-to-wrrite-stories-advice-ex1/
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How to Write Authentic Emotion
In the real world, no two people are alike, which means each of us expresses emotion in our own way. Some people find it natural to share what they feel with those around them, while others find the idea of revealing what they feel horrifying and will avoid situations that could lead to such vulnerability....
The post How to Write Authentic Emotion appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.
https://writershelpingwriters.net/2026/04/write-authentic-emotion/ -
Creating Microtension Through Setting Description
Author, copyeditor, and writing coach C. S. Lakin shares ways to create microtension through setting descriptions. You’re probably wondering what microtension is, and what it has to do with fiction writing. Oddly, very little has been written on the topic, yet it’s an essential element that supercharges our writing. No, it’s not the tension created...
The post Creating Microtension Through Setting Description appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.
https://writershelpingwriters.net/2026/04/creating-microtension-through-setting/ -
What Your Story Problems Reveal About Your Writing Brain
Much as we may have things in common as writers, our brains are wired differently. How one writer creates a story is likely to be quite different from how another one does it. That doesn’t mean that one is wrong—it just means our processes differ. Figuring out how your writing brain operates and how to...
The post What Your Story Problems Reveal About Your Writing Brain appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.
https://writershelpingwriters.net/2026/04/writingbrain/ -
What Your Story Problems Reveal About Your Writing Brain
Much as we may have things in common as writers, our brains are wired differently. How one writer creates a story is likely to be quite different from how another one does it. That doesn’t mean that one is wrong—it just means our processes differ. Figuring out how your writing brain operates and how to...
The post What Your Story Problems Reveal About Your Writing Brain appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.
https://writershelpingwriters.net/2026/04/writingbrain/ -
Differentiating Narrators in a Multiple-Viewpoint Story
Writing in multiple viewpoints is a great way to explore a story from more than one angle, but it creates problems if readers can’t tell who’s talking. You don’t want them feeling lost or disconnected from the story. Whether you’re writing a dual point-of-view romance, a family saga, or a thriller with alternating perspectives, here...
The post Differentiating Narrators in a Multiple-Viewpoint Story appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.
https://writershelpingwriters.net/2026/03/multiple-viewpoint-story/ -
From Idea to Page: The Journey of a Romance Novel
Romance is the #1 genre of all time. Whether you love it or loathe it yourself, it’s fair to say readers LOVE it! As someone who enjoys romance novels of ALL kinds – classic and Rom-Com, through to romantasy, paranormal, steamy, LGBTQ+, young adult (YA) and beyond, I thought I would share my tips on...
The post From Idea to Page: The Journey of a Romance Novel appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.
https://writershelpingwriters.net/2026/03/journey-of-romance-novel/ -
Ooo La La: 5 Steps to Write Uncomfortable Scenes
For many authors, the most difficult type of scene to write (and write well) are sex scenes. However, any type of uncomfortable scene can feel awkward to write, as we may struggle with descriptions or complex emotions, or we may feel judged or ashamed of our writing, and all of that can make our writing...
The post Ooo La La: 5 Steps to Write Uncomfortable Scenes appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.
https://writershelpingwriters.net/2026/03/write-uncomfortable-scenes/#ResidentWritingCoach #Romance #WritingCraft #WritingLessons
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Story Beats
Dialogue without anything else on the page feels like a screenplay—all setup for actors who will never arrive. In a film, the actors carry the scene. In your novel, the writing has to do that work itself. Writers often reach for action beats to fill in the gaps, sprinkling in gestures, expressions, and blocking to...
The post Story Beats appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.
https://writershelpingwriters.net/2026/03/story-beats/ -
8 Tips for Writing an Unreliable Narrator
We know that reader empathy is vital for maximizing their engagement and helping them identify with the protagonist, but what if that character turns out to be an unreliable narrator? These characters can be tricky because if you don’t set them up properly, they won’t be sympathetic. And their lives typically spiral into confusion and...
The post 8 Tips for Writing an Unreliable Narrator appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.
https://writershelpingwriters.net/2026/02/8-tips-for-writing-an-unreliable-narrator/#CharacterTraits #Characters #Empathy #WritingCraft #WritingLessons
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Four Key Moments When You Should Hold the Conflict
Conflict in every scene. It’s popular advice because it’s true. Conflict ratchets up the tension for readers because it makes the character’s success less likely, and readers start worrying about the hero’s ability to win. Will she find true love? Can he overcome his demons and move…
https://writershelpingwriters.net/2025/12/four-moments-when-you-should-hold-the-conflict/ -
Is Your Writing “Good Enough” to Publish?
I cringe at the title of this article, because we all know that writing is an art form, and there are thousands of ways to do it. Yet, I used this title because writers ask me daily if I can take a look at their work and let them know if it’s “any good”. These […]…
https://writershelpingwriters.net/2025/11/is-your-writing-good-enough/#Motivational #ReaderInterest #ResidentWritingCoach #WritingCraft #WritingLessons
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How to Tell the Difference Between a Hook and Inciting Incident
Opening pages are notoriously hard to get right, especially in early drafts of your manuscript. I’ve read hundreds of opening chapters of novels in my work as a writing instructor and book coach and one of the most common issues I see…
https://writershelpingwriters.net/2025/10/how-to-tell-the-difference-between-a-hook-and-inciting-incident/#Openings #ResidentWritingCoach #WritingCraft #WritingLessons
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How to Use the Four Levels of Conflict to Strengthen Your Story
A cardinal sin of storytelling is to skimp on conflict, and no wonder. Those problems, challenges, obstacles, and inner struggles help keep readers engaged, casting doubt on the character’s ability to achieve their goal. Because readers are focused on what’s happening from one…
https://writershelpingwriters.net/2025/08/strengthen-your-story-with-conflict/#Conflict #Tension #WritingCraft #WritingLessons
@indieauthors -
How to Show Your Character Healing from an Emotional Wound
When it comes to writing a story where a character is going to work through a difficult past wound, there are two behavioral states to convey: one showing their brokenness and dysfunction, and one displaying hard-won insight, self-acceptance, and increased…
https://writershelpingwriters.net/2025/08/character-healing-from-an-emotional-wound/#CharacterWound #Characters #Emotion #WritingCraft #WritingLessons
@indieauthors -
How to Amp up Your Story Setting
Taking the time to choose the right setting for each scene is one of the best ways to ensure our writing has impact. Why? Because the setting touches everything. It can characterize the story’s cast, evoke mood, generate conflict, shape the plot, and even use symbols and emotional triggers to show readers…
https://writershelpingwriters.net/2025/07/amp-up-your-story-setting/#OneStopForWriters #Setting #WritingCraft #WritingLessons
@indieauthors -
How to Fictionalize Your Family
Linda Ulleseit, an award-winning author of historical fiction, shares tips and tricks for fictionalizing your family. Everyone has a story! The themes that run through family stories can have universal appeal, but actual evidence of a person’s life can be hard to find. Sometimes fiction is the only way to…
https://writershelpingwriters.net/2025/07/fictionalizing-your-family/#GuestPost #HistoricalFiction #WritingCraft #WritingLessons
@indieauthors -
How to Use Hidden Experiences to Pull Readers In
No matter who your protagonist is—a formidable galactic emperor, a morally complex teenager, or the retiree down the street with too many cats—readers must find something fundamentally relatable about them, something that resonates with their own human experience. This causes them to feel…
https://writershelpingwriters.net/2025/07/how-to-use-hidden-experiences-to-pull-readers-in/ -
Find Symbols in Your Settings
We all want our writing to be layered. Like a gourmet meal, we want there to be more to them than just what’s seen on the surface. In stories, this depth can be added a number of ways—through subplots, character arc, subtext, theme, and symbolism. Of them all, I think symbolism is one of the…
https://writershelpingwriters.net/2025/07/find-symbols-in-your-settings/#Setting #SettingThesaurusGuides #Symbolism #WritingCraft #WritingLessons
@indieauthors