By Aaron Gansky @ADGansky Recently, I talked a bit about a movie I saw that did a good job of setting things up and bringing them to fruition. While not the main point of my post, it reminded me of a principle Bret Anthony Johnston taught me some time back. Before he…

by: Shannon Redmon @shannon_redmon As a former healthcare professional for over twenty years, I often focus on the medical scenes in many books, television shows and movies. When hospital visits or emergency room drama is included in manuscripts, authors sometimes write these scenes incorrectly. I’ve rolled my eyes on more…

By W. Terry Whalin @terrywhalin As I meet writers at conferences and speak with them, the majority are focused on publishing a book. It makes sense most people speak to me about books since I’ve been an acquisitions editor at a New York publisher for the last ten years. There are…

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson A writer’s life is one filled with ups and downs. Some days the words flow and it seems that you have a pipeline from Heaven to the computer screen. The words swirl and dance with a life of their own. At other times the sentences start…

By Leilani Squires When I edit novels, the two comments I most commonly make are, “All the characters sound the same” and “The dialogue is too stiff.” To solve these issues, try using some screenwriting techniques:  Listen You experience a movie through what is seen and heard. Our ears have…

By Larry Leech @LarryJLeechII Oh so many questions. Music or no music? At home or at a coffee shop? With friends or by oneself? Work on a blog or a book? First person or third person? Short chapter or long chapter? Write or edit? A popular villain in the “Batman”…