Readers want the Emotional Layer
At this year’s Worldshift writers’ event, author and coach Trisha Jen Loehr described how readers want the emotional layer in […]
how-to
Five elements of Universal Story
There are five elements of Universal Story that are the foundation of every successful novel. So says writer and coach
Seven More Must-Have YA Tropes
I may have accidentally included seven more must-have YA tropes in my new novel. All genre fiction works through tropes,
The Midpoint of Freytag’s Pyramid
I accidentally hit the midpoint of Freytag’s pyramid. It sounds like a plane crash, but it’s a story-telling device that
Reveal Character through Objects
More than descriptions of how they look, or what they say, stories can also reveal character through objects.
Learning to Embrace Imperfection
I’m immersed in the edit of the next novel and learning to embrace imperfection.
Ask Questions in the Edit
No draft of creative writing comes out perfect, you have to ask questions in the edit. I go through several
Worst Tropes of YA Heroines
The tricky part of writing a YA fantasy is dealing with the worst tropes of YA heroines. We’re talking all
Pride and Prejudice as a YA novel
Consider Pride and Prejudice as a YA novel. Not only the archetypal romance, but the mother of Young Adult fiction,
Not the Chosen One?
What if the protagonist of your fantasy story is not the Chosen One? A well-worn trope of fantasy fiction is