By Janice Hardy Do you really need to hook a reader on the first page? Common writing advice says to hook your reader from the first page. I...

By Janice Hardy Some scenes are hard to write, and others fight you every word. Does that mean something is wrong with it? In every f...

By Janice Hardy If you want memorable characters, don't forget to give them unique voices.  One of my earliest experiences with h...

By Janice Hardy A strong plot is built on strong structure.  Goal - Conflict - Stakes. They're the engine in every scene and ...

By Janice Hardy Discovering your novel doesn’t work is heartbreaking, but there are things you can do to fix it. Story ideas are won...

By Janice Hardy Some details are difficult to slip seamlessly into the story, but you can show a character's age without it feelin...

By Janice Hardy Your novel’s ending will have more impact than everything that came before it. Some writers have troubles with beginnings, ...

By Janice Hardy Some writers weave clues so seamlessly into a novel, readers never realize they’re there until they all converge in the end....

By Janice Hardy Sometimes we just need to ask the right questions to create a memorable character. Some writers develop incredibly detailed ...

By Reyna Marder Gentin Part of the How They Do It Series JH: It’s been a while since we’ve had a guest author, so I’m delighted to welcome...