by Melanie Cossey | Nov 16, 2018 | The Art of Writing Fiction
Recently I had a new writer ask me about first drafts and he mentioned that even with an outline, it was taking him so long just to write the first chapter. Confused, I asked him more about his outline. How developed was it? Had he outlined the full novel? He insisted...
by Melanie Cossey | Sep 28, 2018 | Emotional Support for Writers, Getting Published
In a conversation today, another writer confided that the publishing world is weird: there’s a lot of waiting and then everything has to be done at once. As the final weeks tick down before the launch of my book, A Peculiar Curiosity,this statement has never been...
by Melanie Cossey | Aug 7, 2018 | The Art of Writing Fiction
Dialogue tags are those few words tagged on after a sentence of dialogue to indicate who is speaking. Often, writers make mistakes with dialogue tags that end up costing them readers. As an editor, I see certain common issues cropping up around the use of dialogue...
by Keystrokes & Coffee Staff | Jul 27, 2018 | The Art of Writing Fiction
Tension is what makes a book a hit with readers. Books that master tension often end up ranking high on bestseller lists. But few writers understand exactly what tension is or how to build it in their book. Tension is a physical, emotional or psychological strain that...
