I don’t feel ready to write my story yet, so I think I’ll do some freewriting. What are the benefits of freewriting? Just like playing scales, there are 7 Benefits of Freewriting:

1. Warming Up - just start, get into the groove of writing
2. Ear - get in tune with writing,...

You wake to the singing.

The soft voices have infiltrated your dream, become part of it, carry you with them into the waking world. You, who normally sleep heavy and wake from a deep, black unremembered. This time, because of the singing, the dream is still with you, all of it...

I want to write fiction with emotional impact, so that the reader feels the sweep of emotions from the beginning to the end of the whole story. What are emotional arcs, and how do I use them to plot a story and character transformation?

There are 6 Emotional Arcs:

1. Rise - like...

I want to make the characters in my story come alive. How do I write character descriptions in a story? Consider 3 layers of character description:

• SKIN - the “surface” level, the externals

• FLESH & BONES - “below surface”, things you could research...

The short story "The Clockwork Craven" was written in the "Character" method, one of the 3 ways to develop an idea into a story. That is: taking a character through a transformation.

Of course, there are **spoilers**, so if you haven't read the story yet, do that first,...

I'm drawing a blank. I want to write fiction, but where do I get the ideas? Try the Story IDEA Formula, where IDEA stands for:

INSPIRE x DELVE + ENGAGE x ADAPT

• INSPIRE - get sparks of inspiration from multiple sources 
• DELVE - get clear about what you want to write...

"So you're saying it's bigger?" Fabiana asked.

"C-closer," Pomp corrected in his high, soft, slightly-stuttering voice. "The knight is c-closer."

"Very well, closer.” Fabiana leaned in to study the knight in the painting. “But how can that be? Are you saying that someone...

I'm in the middle of writing a story and I need to come up with a mind-blowing plot twist. How do I do it? Here are the 5 MAGIC Rules of Plot Twists:

• Misdirect - red herrings, dead ends, misguided attention, stalking horse 
• Astonish - a memorable "wow" factor...

When I finally caught up with Brandr, he was having a horn in the darkest, dirtiest mead-hall in the seediest part of Kaupang. Brandr's kind of place. The less light the better, with his scarred-up face and missing nose.

But the golden-haired, blue-eyed, rosy-cheeked woman next to him, she looked...

The short story "Ravens Hold Grudges" was written in the "Outliner" method, one of the 3 ways to develop an idea into a story. That is: plotting the story in advance of writing it.

Of course, there are **spoilers**, so if you haven't read the story yet, do that first,...

I've written (what I feel is) a great story, but honestly the story starts with a bit of a slow burn, and I've been told that I should come up with a better "hook" to grab the reader from the first line

How do I write a hook that catches the reader's attention from the first line?...

I have a story, but what should I call it? My "working title" feels uninspired, and I know that titles are important to catch readers' attention.  

How do I write story titles that catch readers' attention?  Follow these 5 Rules for a Great Story Title:...