By Janice Hardy Just because a character says it, doesn’t mean it isn’t an infodump. Dialogue is one of my favorite parts of writing. It...

By Janice Hardy Be wary of going too far and turning a good sentence (or scene) into an overwritten mess.  The term "purple prose...

By Janice Hardy Hints are great, but be wary of making it too obvious what's going to happen in your novel. If you've ever watche...

By Janice Hardy You can learn a lot from the classics.  My husband and I are big silent movie fans (well, fans of movies in general, real...

By Janice Hardy If you can’t explain why a scene exists, you probably shouldn’t write it Writers ask a lot of questions while drafting a...

By Janice Hardy Sometimes really great advice is anything but helpful. If I took a poll for the most common writing advice, “start with the ...

By Janice Hardy Are you too nice to your characters?  Do you love your characters? Do you wish nothing bad would ever happen to the...

By Janice Hardy A good story is more than a series of things that happen. It's all about the cause and effect. Way back in 2012,...

By Janice Hardy A great scene is a lot like a great meal.  Maybe it's because I'm married to a guy who loves to cook, but I think of...

By Janice Hardy How to spot and fix those sneaky repetitions that weaken your prose. Aside from a great one liner, a declaration of love...