Writing Tip: The Protagonist of Your Novel Isn’t You

Just a quick PSA today on protagonists…

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Writing Tip: How To Write Teenagers Realistically

After spending five years on a manuscript that still isn’t publisher-ready, I have learned the hard way that there’s a delicate balance you need to walk when writing a compelling teenage protagonist. Here, and I’ll be as brief as possible, is what I’ve learned…

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What Draws You Into A Story?

I haven’t decided what my next Learning from the Masters lesson will be. So for today, I’m asking a very important question…

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One Big Thing You Need To Write A Great Manuscript

So I’ve talked some about my own personal NaNoWriMo–attempting to write a first draft in three months, instead of one–and also about how I’m just a wee bit behind. (More specifically: my total word count is at about a third of what it should be.) But I don’t feel like a failure, because after 2+ […]

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Improve Your Writing: Protagonists

In writing class the other night we got into an interesting discussion. According to my teacher (an agented, traditionally-published writer), the biggest reason readers put down a book is…

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