About

When I was first developing my writing skills, I was often frustrated by books that told me what I  should be doing, but didn't provide a clear picture on how to do it. 

Later when I began teaching writing, I decided to offer answers to those questions and discovered I had a bit of a knack for it. I gave lots of examples, because I believe seeing writing in action makes it easier to understand. 

The responses from my students told me I was on to something. I started this site back in 2009 with one goal in mind:

To show writers ways to build a solid foundation for their writing. To provide tips and advice they could take right from these articles and apply directly to their work in progress. I wouldn't just say "show, don't tell" -- I'd give clear examples and advice on how to do that, so every writer could bring the story they wanted to write to life.

Not everything suggested on this site is going to work for everyone, but that's just the way writing is. There is no "right" way to write, there's just finding the process that works for you. It's frustrating to be told "you must do this" when "doing that" is more your style.

This is why I bring guest authors to the site every week to talk about their process. To see how other writers do it so you can find the techniques that motivate and inspire you to craft the best stories possible.

Site Schedule

I've cut back to one post from me a week.  

Monday: Writing Articles: I share general writing tips and advice, both new articles, and updates of some of the nearly 3000 solid writing articles from the archives readers might have missed the first time around.

Random Guest Authors. Visiting authors and publishing professionals share tips, advice, and wisdom. It's far too easy for writers to feel alone, and these articles will show that they're not alone. Guest columns include:

• How They Do It: Focus on craft on how other writers write, from those first steps on how to write or handle a technique, to more advanced topics for those farther along in their careers. 
• Indie Authors: Focus on tips and advice for those looking to self publish, covering a variety of topics from detailed how-tos to creating an e-book, to overviews on self publishing trends and philosophies. The marketing aspects in this column usually also apply to traditionally published authors as well.  
• The Writer's Life: Focus on issues relating to being a writer or author, both business and personal. From managing your time, to dealing with writer's block, to the business of marketing your book, and more. 
• Focus on Short Fiction: Focus on short stories and novellas, and the differences between them and novels. Guest short story authors share their advice and tips on writing for the shorter market.  

Welcome to Fiction University.

I'm happy to hear from folks, so feel free to drop me an e-mail.

E-mail: janice @ janicehardy . com (remove spaces)

Found a Mistake?

Much as I'd love to be perfect, mistakes are going to happen. When you find a mistake please drop me an email or leave a comment and let me know. I'll correct it straightaway and be very grateful you took the time to give me a heads up.

Bad Links?

If you happen to find a bad link, please let me know and I'll fix it right away.