by Louise Privette People read biographies to learn more about people they admire or better understand the motivations of those they despise. A great biographer offers a glimpse into the lives of noteworthy individuals. Readers share the individual’s journey, experience their triumphs and failures, and gain insights into their own lives.… Read the post The post Telling a Life: Tips for Composing a Compelling Biography first appeared on Writers In The Storm ..read more

By Kris Maze It is the season of NaNoWriMo, a festive writing time when writers challenge themselves to madly type away at their latest-great-idea, trying to complete 50,000 words in a manuscript. Writers devote a lot of time to plot out their story line, to build their immersive worlds, and to craft compelling characters.… Read the post The post First Impressions Matter: Effective Front Pages first appeared on Writers In The Storm ..read more

by Lisa Hall-Wilson Looking for a quick effective way to take your writing up a notch? Subtext. K.M. Weiland calls it the black belt of fiction writing. When you can replace spoken dialogue with silent communication, with familiarity, shared goals, etc.… Read the post The post 6 Questions To Go Deeper With Subtext In Fiction first appeared on Writers In The Storm ..read more

by Johnny B. Truant You know … this writing thing can be a real pain in the ass. It beats you up and is sometimes a serious downer. I used to be so loud and proud in my early days online that I never really let those home truths settle, but they’re no joke.… Read the post The post Question of the Day: WHY Do You Write? first appeared on Writers In The Storm ..read more

Today at Writers In The Storm we’re giving thanks for the “writerly” things and people who help us put words on the page. We're also opening the door for our readers! Share your gratitude for writerly things and people, large and small, down in the comments!… Read the post The post WITS Bloggers Give Writerly Thanks first appeared on Writers In The Storm ..read more

Lynette M. Burrows You’ve been there. We all have. You have a story idea. You’re enjoying the discovery of what happens next when everything screeches to a halt. You can not write another word. Don’t just throw your hands up in the air and give up.… Read the post The post Easy Solutions for When Writing Gets Too Darn Difficult first appeared on Writers In The Storm ..read more

by Dr. Diana Stout Over the years, I’ve heard writers say, “I don’t need to learn grammar and punctuation. That’s why I have an editor.” When one student discovered he’d be editing his writing, he said, “I’ll be handing my correspondence to my secretary.… Read the post The post Why You Want to Become a Better Self-Editor first appeared on Writers In The Storm ..read more

by Eldred “Bob” Bird November is here and we all know what that means. It's NaNoWriMo time. As we're jogging past the one-week mark, I'm sure that some of you are starting to notice a blackhole forming in your brain. The dreaded mid-November slump is on the horizon.… Read the post The post Five Ways to Beat the Mid-NaNoWriMo Slump first appeared on Writers In The Storm ..read more

by A. Dani When the page is no longer blank, what then? What’s next? Many of us are writing stories this November, whether powered up during the writer-encouraging event of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) or as part of our usual writing schedule.… Read the post The post How to Self-Edit: Tricks to Find the Fun in Editing first appeared on Writers In The Storm ..read more

by Lisa Norman I recently found myself stressing out over a deadline. People who have worked with me know that my body responds negatively to stress... which is sad, because I thrive on it emotionally. I've heard many of my students and clients talk about the pressure of deadlines as well.… Read the post The post Productivity, Deadlines, and the Creative Soul first appeared on Writers In The Storm ..read more