Today’s topic will be helpful for anyone who has wondered how to develop story ideas from classic stories. For me, I’d always wanted to rework the classic fairy tales. Did you know that they weren’t meant to be the iconic cute stories we currently read? With this in mind, your first step is to get … More Parsing Ideas For Fantasy Stories
I love stories that showcase the antagonist’s point of view. It gives readers an opportunity to know where they are coming from. Granted, some antagonists are truly twisted people and getting a glimpse into their minds can be disturbing. But, say, in the case of a lot of thrillers or horror stories, this “chill down … More Writing Hacks: Creating Three-Dimensional Villains
The Importance of Accuracy in Worldbuilding The idea for today’s post came while binge-watching the CW’s Arrow. Hey, don’t fault me. I’m a huge fan of DC Comics and Marvel. While playing catch up on the series, I noticed frequent mention of Bratva (in a nutshell, think Russian mafia). Personally, I’d never heard of it … More Writing Advice: SF Benson
The Indie Audiobook Process I’ve loved audiobooks since before it was cool. Before iPhones, before mp3 players. I spent years trying to convert friends to no avail. And now, finally, finally, readers are overcoming their prejudice. They’ve realized they can download straight to their phones, fit in reading while they’re driving, working out, mindlessly playing … More Publishing Audiobooks
Worldbuilding and Research When I was considering what to write for this post, I first thought I’d write about my research process while writing my latest fairy tale retelling. But then, the question popped up—why did I need research for this story? All Things Dark & Magickal: Bitter Fruit requires worldbuilding. Lots of worldbuilding—hence, the … More Writing Advice: SF Benson
A lot of people think that writing a good story is about nailing the plot. (I was this way when I first started out.) While plot is important, it’s only one piece of the puzzle. Equally important to plot is your casts’ character development, or what some call the characters’ emotional development. What is emotional … More Writing Hacks: Developing Your Characters’ Emotional Arcs
Welcome to another Writer’s Digest! Once a month, we ask our tribe at WWF questions about craft and bring their answers to you. Before we dive into this week’s topic, keep our words with a grain of salt. What works for one writer may not work for the next. Our hope is that you’re able to learn … More Writer’s Digest – Ask Our Authors
Welcome to another Writer’s Digest! Once a month, we ask our tribe at WWF questions about craft and bring their answers to you. Keep our words with a grain of salt. What works for one author may not work for the next. We hope you’re able to learn from our past experiences and mistakes. Be encouraged to … More Writer’s Digest – Ask Our Authors
Author’s opinions are almost always based on our past experiences. What works for one may not work for the next. There’s no rhyme or reason to it, which can be frustrating when you’re trying to find that “formula” for your novel’s success. The great news is, there are as many paths as there are authors. … More Writer’s Digest – Ask Our Authors
We’re excited to share a special blog feature by Melissa McShane, author of the Extraordinaries series, beginning with BURNING BRIGHT, and the novels of Tremontane, SERVANT OF THE CROWN, RIDER OF THE CROWN, and AGENT OF THE CROWN. Today Melissa shares her experience about the writing conference she attended this year. Happy Reading! Forget About the … More Advice for Authors – “Continuing Education” featuring Melissa McShane
We Write Fantasy 