Three things to note before we jump in: ONE: there is no ONE SIZE FITS ALL, or no hard and fast ALWAYS rules in strengthening the language of your fiction. TWO: if your characterization is INCREDIBLE, strong language will most likely come very naturally. THREE: you have more leeway if you’re writing in first person and within dialogue for voice reasons. Let’s jump in. … Read More Quick Tips to Strengthen the Language of Your Fiction
The 5 Point Story Mapping Method isn’t a plotting device. It’s not a new series of beats or a reworking of classic plot tools. The Waypoint Method aims to get deep under the skin of your story so that you understand more than just what happens to your characters. It’s about setting yourself up to succeed, understanding your own motivations as well as your … Read More DIY Workbook: 5 Point Story Mapping
+ Writing
by Haley Walden
Sending an imperfect (or even *gasp* incomplete) first draft to your editor feels a little bit like getting pushed out of an airplane before you’ve psyched yourself up for the jump. I know this because I recently turned an incomplete first draft in to MY editor, Allie (in case you haven’t already seen or heard me mention this, Allie and Jo are my editors … Read More The Freefall: Letting Go Of Perfectionism During Drafting
by Jesse Perry
With the rise of social media and the internet, marginalized groups have been able to create online platforms and share their experiences. With all of this new information cycling the web, and authors wanting to diversify their casts of characters, it can be difficult to make sure that you are representing a character that is a member of a marginalized group in a respectful … Read More Writing Disabled Characters – 3 Tropes to Avoid
Over and over I see people agonizing over word choices and commas before their story is figured out. Or beta readers marking copy edit style edits when the author doesn’t yet know if their story works–or if the scene the reader is editing will even make the final cut of the novel. This is why it’s important for an author to know what to … Read More Edit Levels: What They Are and Why They Matter
+ Story
I’m a huge believer in having as many self-editing tools as possible, and this is one of my favorites. Each scene in our manuscript needs to count. Each scene needs to move the story forward, give the reader new information, and help your reader to experience the story. Every time I give you writing advice, or process advice, I urge you to test it … Read More Author Toolbox: Learn and Propel
Waypoint Authors 