What is a draft zero? And how it can unlock your story

What is a draft zero? And how it can unlock your story

Last updated Jun 17, 2024 | Writing Tips

Do you have a great idea for a story, but find the writing process a little intimidating? You’re not alone. Committing words to a page can be hard – what if the scenes you have in your head end up being lifeless and flat? Or you can’t find the right words to express...
7 steps to structure a story that comes full circle

7 steps to structure a story that comes full circle

Last updated May 15, 2024 | Writing Tips

What does that mean to you, to come full circle? On its surface, to come full circle refers to ending up where you started. It reminds me of hiking in the woods, following the maps, markers, and stars, only to end up in the same spot as the day before. Frustrating to...
Manipulative characters 101: A guide to slippery b*stards

Manipulative characters 101: A guide to slippery b*stards

Last updated Apr 17, 2024 | Writing Tips

Across the genre, fantasy has more than its fair share of shifty, manipulative types pulling strings from the shadows. Little Finger, Sand dan Glokta, Lord Vetinari. But how do you write a character like that? Unless you spend your days in the political halls of power...
20+ contests for science fiction and fantasy writers

20+ contests for science fiction and fantasy writers

Last updated Mar 21, 2024 | Writing Tips

Hey writers! Have you written a story that you think is the absolute cat’s pyjamas? Maybe it has vibrant, detailed worldbuilding or transcendent turns of phrase. Now, you want to stand on the nearest rooftop and shout its glory to the world. The next step in your...
That critical second draft

That critical second draft

Last updated Feb 25, 2024 | Writing Tips

Congratulations! If this is your first finished novel, extra congratulations. Now close the desktop or notebook folder your manuscript is in and don’t open it for at least two weeks. Minimum. A month will be even better. Do whatever it takes to forget that novel...