Has a story ever taken control of you while you were writing it? If it hasn't, it wanted to. Why don't you let it?Par Stephen Woodfin

Would you rather be a consumer or a creator? A writer needs to be both, but he must strike the right balance between reading and writing.Par Stephen Woodfin

Let your uniqueness shine through in all your writing. When you find your voice, everything else will fall into place.Par Stephen Woodfin

The back stories of your characters make the difference between a book that grabs readers and one that falls flat.Par Stephen Woodfin

Quit worrying about your book and have fun writing the first scene.Par Stephen Woodfin

How much of your time do you spend following your heart?Par Stephen Woodfin

Should writers begin their writing journey writing short stories?Par Stephen Woodfin

Don't be your own worst critic. There are plenty of people waiting in line for that job.Par Stephen Woodfin

What does the first sentence of a book give away about what lies ahead? We look at a few examples.Par Stephen Woodfin

What's the best cure for writer's block?Par Stephen Woodfin

How the coronavirus outbreak drives us out of our old worlds and requires us to build new ones.Par Stephen Woodfin

A new writer should do his or her homework before joining a critique group. What experience-level are members of the group?Par Stephen Woodfin

Talent or Determination? Beginning writers do well to listen to John D. MacDonald's take on the subject. Is it about inspiration or perspiration?Par Stephen Woodfin

The importance of reading a draft of your work aloud to test it for mistakes, to see if it has cadence and rhythm, and to prepare it for audiobook narration.Par Stephen Woodfin

Don't become a part of the ING Dynasty in your writing.Par Stephen Woodfin

He said, she said. How to use, or avoid, attribution in dialogue.Par Stephen Woodfin

Just keep writing until you finish your book. Remember, you must be present to win.Par Stephen Woodfin

What's the difference between location and place?Par Stephen Woodfin

One thing new writers struggle with is the context they create for characters. Every writer is a world-builder, and she needs to create a consistent world so her readers don't get lost along the way.Par Stephen Woodfin

Learn about writing by deconstructing the work of your favorite authors.Par Stephen Woodfin

When you sit down to write your book, have a working title in mind. The title expresses the book's essence as keeps you focused as you write.Par Stephen Woodfin

Replace empty words in your writing with visual cues that fire a reader's imagination. Add descriptions and make your writing sing. To help you get the hang of it, review passages from your favorite writers to see how they create pictures with words.Par Stephen Woodfin

Who will tell your story? You will write it down, but someone else will tell it. Will it be a narrator or a first-person account? Writers refer to this as point of view ("POV"), and it is a basic building block of your writing. Are you a head-hopper?Par Stephen Woodfin

Which is better, Plotters or Pantsers? Plotters are those people who outline their books before they begin writing. Pantsers fly by the seat of their pants, learning the story as they go. Which group are you in, or can you be in both?Par Stephen Woodfin

Four decisions will open the door to your writing life. Find a time to write. Find a place to write. Find a method to capture your words. Set a goal for each writing session.Par Stephen Woodfin