Writing Romance

Writing Romance

Romantic chemistry is one of the great mysteries of life as well as storytelling. You can’t fake it, but you can build it. Chemistry isn’t about grand gestures or poetic declarations; it’s about energy—the invisible charge between two people. When writing romance,...
Online Research Gems and Shortcuts

Online Research Gems and Shortcuts

Whether you’re writing fiction, nonfiction, or a memoir, you’ll probably need to do a little—or a lot—of research at some point. These days, that means delving into online research. Writers joke about how our search histories would get us arrested if taken...
Revising a Rough Draft

Revising a Rough Draft

Congratulations—you finished a draft of your book! Now comes the part that separates dabblers from authors: revision. If your manuscript feels sloppy, kudos to you. First drafts are supposed to be messy since you need to let it all hang out when you’re creating....
Character-Revealing Dialogue

Character-Revealing Dialogue

Good, character-revealing dialogue does more than move a plot forward—it reveals who your characters are when they’re not trying to explain themselves. What they say, how they say it, and what they don’t say all build a portrait more vivid than any description could....