Either Or, Neither Nor
It doesn’t matter if you pronounce either with a long E (ee-ther) or a long I (eye-ther). Depending on your region of the…
Themes That Develop Organically in Your Novel
In the last two weeks we’ve begun discussing theme, the fourth key corner pillar of novel construction. I argued that…
Play for Pay: Leisure Yields Ideas for Marketable Stories
Today’s guest post is from my inspiring author friend Karen O’Connor: On days when ideas and words are scarce, I…
When Not to Hyphenate
Writers often hyphenate when they aren’t supposed to. It always seems to make sense that if you have two words…
Just What Is Theme in a Novel, Anyway?
We took an introductory look at theme last week, and saw how theme is what your story is really all…
Go Ahead—Ignore Your Novel!
Today’s guest post is by author and writing professor Catharine Bramkamp, who has really great advice for novelists! I’m in…
Each and Every Way to Get Confused
The words each and every are used so interchangeably, they seem like they mean the same things. But they don’t. Grammarians call…
Theme—What’s at the Heart of Your Story
In our exploration of the 12 key pillars of novel construction this year, we’ve first been delving deeply into what…
“Zero-Based Thinking” for Writers
Today’s guest post is by writer Matthew Eaton, who has a cool topic to discuss—something I’d never heard of before….