By Kris Maze Stop and ask yourself, how much have you written today? This week? This year? Maybe you have recently finished a manuscript that is polished and ready for the printer, but if you are like me, the honest truth about your writing productivity might leave you disappointed, underwhelmed, or simply disappointed.… Read the post The post Stop Writing and Other Ways to Improve Your Writing first appeared on Writers In The Storm ..read more

by Ellen Buikema A character's impact on the plot involves all their traits. It's important to understand how their background, personality, flaws, and strengths influence the plot and move the story forward. Character arc A character arc is the journey of transformation that a character takes over the course of a story.… Read the post The post Ways to Know Your Characters, Part 5- Impact on Plot first appeared on Writers In The Storm ..read more

by Sarah (Sally) Hamer Yes, there are right ways and wrong ways to kill a character in a fiction story. And, even if we're working with non-fiction and telling a true story, we might still need to determine how to tell how a character will die.… Read the post The post How to Kill a Character first appeared on Writers In The Storm ..read more

Every so often, we open the doors of WITS to our readers. It's our version of Open Mic Night where you get to take the stage. We like hearing what you're up to in your writing and, since it was just World Creativity Day, it seems like a great time for this.… Read the post The post Take the Stage at WITS: Share Your First Lines! first appeared on Writers In The Storm ..read more

By Jenn Windrow This new series comes from Jenn Windrow, powerhouse indie author and instructor of “Indie Author – A Hands on Guide to Self-Publishing” at Lawson Writers Academy. We’re looking forward to seeing a lot more of her here!… Read the post The post The Most Important Question to Ask Before You Indie Publish first appeared on Writers In The Storm ..read more

by Kris Maze As writers, it's important to take care of your mental health to maintain our productivity and to have a balanced, happy writing life. Sometimes this means taking a break from writing to attend to the important aspects of being a good human and to reset our minds for better creativity.… Read the post The post ? 7 Super Mental Health Hacks for Writers to De-Stress ? first appeared on Writers In The Storm ..read more

by Piper Bayard of Bayard & Holmes Many genres involve characters who at some point experience fear, and it is common for them to want to hide in their homes. Everything from creepy shadows, to hang up calls, to ominous social media posts or threats by mobsters can have our characters holing up. … Read the post The post 5 Home Defense Techniques for Any Character first appeared on Writers In The Storm ..read more

by Becca Puglisi  Conflict in every scene.  It’s popular advice because it’s true. Conflict ratchets up the tension for readers because it makes the character’s success less likely, and readers start worrying about the hero’s ability to win. Will she find true love?… Read the post The post 4 Story Moments that Don’t Need Conflict first appeared on Writers In The Storm ..read more

As I write this article, I’m halfway through my developmental editor’s comments on my manuscript and making the necessary changes to help this book shine. That sounds like a great endeavor, right? In actuality, it’s a grueling task that makes me wonder, once again, if being a toll booth operator would be more rewarding than this job.… Read the post The post Author Affirmations for the Editing Phase first appeared on Writers In The Storm ..read more

By Margie Lawson Want to write four or more books per year? You can still use many of my deep editing techniques! Writing one book a year? You can use more of my deep editing techniques! Deep Editing In this blog post I’ll share three of the 3749 deep edit goodies I teach that writers to use.… Read the post The post Writing Fast or Slow, Deep Editing is the Way to Go! first appeared on Writers In The Storm ..read more