Teaching Values Through Stories: Morals and Life Lessons for Kids 500high
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Teaching Values Through Stories: Morals and Life Lessons for Kids by Writers Exchange E-Publishing

Ask a child what their favourite story is about, and they will almost never say "honesty" or "courage" or "kindness". They will tell you about a spider who saved a pig, a boy who got sent to bed without supper and ended up king of a wild kingdom, or four sisters making do while their father was away at war. The moral, if it exists at all in their awareness, is wrapped so tightly inside the story that the two…
Blog Post Crafting Compelling Holiday-Themed Stories: Fresh Ideas and Practical Writing Tips 500
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Crafting Compelling Holiday-Themed Stories: Fresh Ideas and Practical Writing Tips by Writers Exchange E-Publishing

Holidays and special seasons have a timeless allure, sparking joy, nostalgia, and anticipation in readers. If you've already explored the emotional depth of holiday and seasonal stories, it's time to delve into fresh aspects of the genre. Writing holiday-themed stories presents unique challenges and opportunities, especially for those wanting to create something that feels novel yet connected to the festive spirit. In this article, we'll explore new ways to approach holiday writing, offering practical tips and strategies to ensure your…
Blog Post Unveiling the Supernatural Symphony: The Crucial Role of Dialogue in Paranormal Fiction 500
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Unveiling the Supernatural Symphony: The Crucial Role of Dialogue in Paranormal Fiction by Writers Exchange E-Publishing

In the enchanted realms of paranormal fiction, where ghosts whisper secrets and werewolves prowl beneath the moon's glow, dialogue serves as the invisible tether that binds readers to the otherworldly narrative. Beyond mere conversation, dialogue in paranormal fiction acts as a conduit for character development, world-building, and the seamless integration of the fantastical into the familiar. Join us as we delve into the depths of spectral speech and unearth the importance of dialogue in this captivating genre.   The Essence…
Beyond Villains -- Addressing Antagonists in Detail by Will Greenway 500high
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Beyond Villains — Addressing Antagonists in Detail by Will Greenway

'Villain' is a dated term. It brings to mind a particular kind of bad guy that has become kind of a toothless foil in both the minds of writers and their audiences. These affably evil tropes portray some over-the-top black hat who has an inexplicable demagogic ability to attract hordes of henchmen, cronies, and minions. They bumble around carrying out their latest master plans with their enablers, dishing out head thumps and intelligence burns with comedic flare. It's fun, but…
Blog Post How to Start Writing a Book from Scratch 500
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How to Start Writing a Book from Scratch By Writers Exchange E-Publishing

Starting a book from scratch can be an exciting but daunting process. The thought of creating an entire world and bringing characters to life can be overwhelming, but with the right approach and mindset, it can also be immensely rewarding. Here are some tips on how to start writing a book from scratch:   Choose a genre and narrow down your focus. Before you start writing, it's important to decide what type of book you want to write. Do you…
Blog Post Arrested Development 500
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Arrested Development by Karen S. Wiesner

Based on Bring Your Fiction to Life: Crafting Three-Dimensional Stories with Depth and Complexity and CPR for Dead or Lifeless Fiction {A Writer's Guide to Deep and Multifaceted Development and Progression of Characters, Plot, and Relationships}   Character Plot Relationship Developmental Signs of Life   Animated Evidence of functionality, breathing, heartbeat, the spark of life.   Living Not simply existing and going through the motions but possessing fully developed external and internal conflicts.   Interacting Dynamic, realistic, and believable relationships.…
Blog Post Deep, Multi-Faceted Development and Progression of Romantic Relationships 500
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Deep, Multi-Faceted Development and Progression of Romantic Relationships By Karen S. Wiesner

Deep, Multi-Faceted Development and Progression of Romantic Relationships By Karen S. Wiesner   Based on CPR for Dead or Lifeless Fiction {A Writer's Guide to Deep and Multifaceted Development and Progression of Characters, Plot, and Relationships}   "Character is not created in isolation or repose; it’s forged through interaction with others and the world." ~The Art of Character: Creating Memorable Characters for Fiction, Film, and TV by David Corbett   Human beings tend to live in groups, whether because one…
Blog Post Advance Your Career by Creating Story Folders 500
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Advance Your Career by Creating Story Folders by Karen S. Wiesner

Advance Your Career by Creating Story Folders by Karen S. Wiesner Based on Bring Your Fiction to Life: Crafting Three-Dimensional Stories with Depth and Complexity and CPR for Dead or Lifeless Fiction {A Writer's Guide to Deep and Multifaceted Development and Progression of Characters, Plot, and Relationships}   Writers spin fantasies in their heads, and this is where most of their work is done in conceiving a story. In previous writing reference titles, I've likened the process of writing to…
Blog Post How to Choose a Setting: Real or Fiction 500
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How to Choose a Setting: Real or Fiction by Deborah Nolan

Choosing a Setting: Real or Fiction By Deborah Nolan   It's been said that location is another character in a story.  I think that's true if the setting is described well enough and with enough detail for the reader to actually imagine it.   Some authors are known for certain locations.  Most of Susan Isaacs' novels take place in Nassau County, Long Island.  I grew up there and it's one of many reasons I like her books so much. For…
Blog Post Advice for New Authors 500
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Advice for New Authors by Karen S. Wiesner

First, I don’t believe there are absolutes in writing. There are so many writing trends, no-no’s, and must-do’s. I admit I find most of them silly. The only rules are the ones you enforce yourself. Don’t let anyone else tell you differently. Here are seven pieces of advice for becoming a professional author:   1) Do your homework in learning to successfully navigate the extremely treacherous waters of trying to book writing and publishing. Don’t rely on anyone else to…
Blog Post Avoid a Sagging Middle 500
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Avoid a Sagging Middle by Dee Lloyd

No middle should sag. The dragging, sagging pace of the middle of a romance is every bit as unattractive as the lax muscles of a person's physical midsection. No matter how enthralling your opening chapters are, you will lose your grip on the reader's attention if nothing significant happens or if the pace falters midway in your story. The last thing you want is the reader to think, "She already told me that!" Even if your hero is irresistible and…
Blog Post Where do we find our heroes? 500
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Where do we find our heroes? by Deborah Nolan

WHERE DO WE FIND OUR HEROES? By Deborah Nolan   With Valentine's Day on the horizon I thought it would be a good time to talk about what makes a romantic hero. The heroes in my romances are inspired by real people.  Gerard Fitzpatrick, know by all as Fitz, the hero in "Conflict of Interest", was based on a rotary member in my town. I'd heard through the grapevine that he was a single father raising his two young sons…
Blog Post How to Write Police Mystery Thrillers: Getting it Right! 500
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How to Write Police Mystery Thrillers: Getting it Right! By John Schembra

Are you writing police mysteries thrillers? Want to get it right? I do, too, though I may have an advantage, having been a police officer for 30 years. Although the home setting for my books is the San Francisco PD, sometimes protagonists must seek the help of other police or federal agencies. This presents a problem, as not all law enforcement agencies conduct investigations the same way. Each agency has their own set of procedures and though general investigative protocols…
Blurb Writing Series, Part 2: Crafting Blurbs Overview by Karen Wiesner
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Blurb Writing Series, Part 2: Crafting Blurbs Overview by Karen Wiesner

Crafting Blurbs Overview by Karen Wiesner   Back Cover Blurbs A back cover blurb can be anywhere from one to four paragraphs. If the whole package is short and punchy, as we've said, it's practically guaranteed to be intriguingly memorable. But, while shorter is generally better these days, that's not always the case. A too-short blurb may be less than dazzling. Instead of being memorable, it can lack details to capture true interest in readers. Another thing to note is…
Blog Post Blurb Writing Series, Part 1: Judge a Book by its Back Cover Blurb 500
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Blurb Writing Series, Part 1: Judge a Book by its Back Cover Blurb by Karen Wiesner

Fact 1: Readers judge books by their back cover blurbs just as they might a cover.   Fact 2: Authors and publishers want them to! To have a reader judge a book by its back cover blurb is our goal.   The only problem with this is that we want readers to judge our books to be worthy of taking the risk of buying and reading it, not the opposite. For that very reason, an *effectively good* back cover blurb…
Blog Post Avoid Rejection... An Editor's Checklist 500
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Avoid Rejection… An Editor’s Checklist by Dee Lloyd

During my six years as Acquisitions Editor for the now-defunct LTDBooks I must have read several thousand submissions. Many of the manuscripts I reluctantly had to reject had much to offer. If the authors had looked carefully at the following aspects of their writing, my response might have been positive. Here are the topics of some of my pet peeves. THE CHECK LIST: Spelling and grammar. There is no more obvious fault to an editor than poor grammar and spelling.…
Blog Post The Stuff Series are Made of 500
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The Stuff Series are Made of by Karen Wiesner

The Stuff Series Are Made Of By Karen S. Wiesner   "The disease of writing is dangerous and contagious," Abelard famously said to Heloise. So, too, can a book series become a relentless obsession: It's why readers follow series devotedly to the last, why writers write them for years on end, and why publishers contract them in spades. In our trend-driven world, series are hotter than ever. But if writing a novel can seem overwhelming, the idea of creating a whole…
Blog Post Scene business, style, and dialogue 500
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Scene business, style, and dialogue by Will Greenway

Scene business, style, and dialogue By Will Greenway Viewpoint is one the most important aspects of writing. It is the eye through which readers see your work. Creating a strong viewpoint "presence" within your story relies on several related narrative techniques. One of the most important is the handling of character interactions and specifically dialogue. Related to dialogue, one of the most common problems in beginning writing is the "talking head" syndrome. Essentially, characters in a scene begin talking, and…
Blog Post World Building, Not Just for Genre Writers 500
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World Building, Not Just for Genre Writers by Will Greenway

Writing: World Building, not just for genre writers By Will Greenway Overview When we see the term "world building", many writers tend to associate this concept with genre fiction, specifically science fiction, fantasy, and often horror as well.  However, building a world is something that all fiction writers must do. Simply because your world is closer to the "real world" in terms of conventions does not mean that there isn't still work to be done. When we take the idea…
Blog Post Writing: Dynamic Beginnings (2 of 2) 500
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Writing: Dynamic Beginnings (2 of 2) by Will Greenway

Dynamic Beginnings (2 of 2) By Will Greenway If you read the material on Dynamic Beginnings and the 8 rules for starting a novel or short story, this article contains additional "starter" tips and some concrete examples for launching stories. One mechanism that is good for teaching writing self-discipline and makes for an evocative story opening is the six-line opener paragraph. The goal of the opener paragraph is to hook the reader and do most of the things talked about…