Three Ways to Avoid Tired Body Language
It’s easy to default to a few ways to describe a character’s body language, but over a 300-page novel, the same interpretations of emotions becomes repetitive. Have you leaned on one of these phrases?
Four Signs Your Novel’s Climax scene Needs revision
Your novel’s climax scene is the BIG moment, the payoff of all that came before it. Let’s give the reader what they’ve been waiting for. How do you know if your story’s climax scene is spot on or if it needs a closer look? First, let’s...Four Reasons your novel needs backstory
Understanding your characters’ backstory can deepen motivations (why they want what they want) and solve plot problems (what they do next). The heart of your protagonist’s story is buried in their past.
Why Characterization Charts Don’t Work
No doubt you’ve seen them — the charts that allow you to get to know your novel’s characters by filling in the blanks. These charts prompt you with basic questions about each character: Siblings? Age? Education? Many writers spend hours diligently completing these charts and still don’t really know their characters.
4 Most Common WIP Problems
As a developmental editor, I see many of the same issues in novel and memoir manuscripts. The good news is that none of these issues are deal breakers for your WIP. Here are the four most common problems I find in manuscripts…and a few tips to fix them.
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