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 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 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, @Janice_Hardy A loose plot can easily unravel, but tying up the threads strengthens the entire novel. One of my favo...

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy Just like your plot has layers, consider the emotional layers of your story.  Emotions are like a comple...

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy It’s the author’s job to bring a story to life for readers. Sometimes we envision a story so clearly it plays...

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy  We don't always choose the right scenes to dramatize in a story. I wrote a scene for my third novel,  D...

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy The problem isn’t always where you think it is. Before I dive in today, I'm also guest posting over at W...

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy Transform your story by mining its hidden gems. One of the many reasons I adore my critique groups is that th...

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy Sequels are the emotional glue holding scenes together. Before I dive it, I’m over at The Insecure Writer’s S...

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy A strong scene is really just a series of questions.  Plotting is both easy and hard. It's easy because i...

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy Don’t try to write the whole scene at once. Last week, I was having a bit of trouble writing a scene for a ne...

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy This simple step can help keep you from getting stuck in your draft. A few weeks ago, Laurence MacNaughton wr...

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy No matter how exciting a scene might be, if it doesn’t change anything in the story, it’s not doing your nove...

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy Never fear the blank page again. Blank pages stink. Even when I know what I want to write, I still have days ...

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy It’s a terrible feeling when the scene you’re working on grinds to a halt—and you have no idea how to get i...

By Laurence MacNaughton, @LMacNaughton Part of The How They Do It Series JH: Some days, the hardest part of writing is knowing what to write...

By Laurence MacNaughton, @LMacNaughton Part of The How They Do It Series JH: Getting stuck on a scene isn't just frustrating, it c...

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy Writing in quick steps can help you knock out a scene fast. I may have wound up an author, but I star...