By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy Theme is one of the best plotting tools a writer has. I’ve always been a plot-focused writer, so theme was so...

Critique by Maria D'Marco WIP Diagnostics is a weekly column that studies a snippet of a work in progress for specific issues. Readers a...

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy The midpoint reversal is the glue that holds the first and second halves of the novel together. Like many wri...

By Jenna Harte Part of The How They Do It Series JH: Readers skim when they read, especially if nothing is really going on in the story. Jen...

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy Not everything you know about your story belongs in your novel. A quick heads up...I'm over at Writers in...

By Shanna Swendson, @ShannaSwendson Part of The Writer’s Life Series  JH: Managing time is one of the more difficult things about being a wr...

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy Even if you do little to no character development before you start writing, asking this one question can pinp...

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy The act two choice is a pivotal moment in your novel, and the wrong choice could send your middle in the wro...

By Orly Konig, @OrlyKonig Part of The How They Do It Series JH: Having to revise on a tight deadline can give any writer nightmares, but som...

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy In some ways, pacing is more critical to a novel than plot. My husband isn't a kidlit reader, and when he...