Janice Hardy If you've been struggling with a plot, or you're looking for ways to deepen an existing plot, try looking at how your p...

By Janice Hardy Let your characters show you — and readers — who they truly are. In novels, we often rely on what a character says to sho...

By Janice Hardy Description is a blessing and a curse.  Setting the scene is vital to help readers immerse themselves in your story world,...

By Janice Hardy Emotions are critical in most novels, but writing them can sometimes be a challenge.   Describing outward emotions ...

By Janice Hardy Your novel's conflict—and the antagonist—can come from any number of places.  Conflict is vital to any story, but ...

By Janice Hardy Finding ways to describe your first-person point of view narrator isn't easy — and a few things not to do. Firs...

By Janice Hardy Tension is a valuable tool for getting readers to turn the page — no matter what genre you write in.  Conflict and ...

By Janice Hardy Theme is an often overlooked tool in a writer's toolbox. Here's another look at finding the greater meaning in ...

By Janice Hardy A mental shift in how we think about our writing and process can change our perspective, and thus, help us see the thin...

By Janice Hardy If your first pages don’t grab readers, your problem might not be the writing—it might be where you started. Openings ...