By Angela Ackerman Part of the How They Do It Series JH: Fear is at the heart of so many stories, because it’s often what’s keeping the prot...

By Tess Perko Part of the How They Do It Series JH: Becoming part of a writing community can be a rewarding and beneficial experience for th...

By Janice Hardy A first draft is a wonderful thing, but it always needs more work. There's something exciting and rewarding about ...

By Janice Hardy Uncovering backstory isn’t the same as plot, and focusing too much on the story’s past can hurt your novel’s future. ...

By Janice Hardy Human emotion is universal, but you don't want to use the same descriptions all the time. Here are ways to keep yo...

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...