By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

The best stories are the ones that come alive in a reader's imagination. They pull the reader into the story world and sweep them away in the struggles and dreams of the characters. For us writers, envisioning our stories is the easy part, and the trick is getting what's in our heads onto the page.… Read the post

by Janice Hardy

While there’s something exciting about writing a first draft, I always look forward to the revisions. It isn’t until I see how my story unfolds that I fully understand where I can make it stronger, and turning that literary lump of coal into a diamond is quite rewarding–and a lot of fun.… Read the post

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

When characters are scared about what might happen, so are your readers.

Imagine your character in a dark room, surrounded by shadows, covered in—

Thud. What was that? Is someone there?

Maybe it’s nothing. The cat chasing his tail.… Read the post

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

There’s one trick I use that makes writing—and developing—my characters a whole lot easier.

I’ve always been a bit of a pantser when it comes to characters. I figure out only the basics of who they are and where they came from before I start a draft, and I learn who they are by putting them into terrible situations and seeing how they get out of it.… Read the post

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

When your story stalls take heart—it’s not the end of your novel.

It stinks, but every writer gets stuck from time to time. Some days, it’s a short stall and you struggle with a single scene for a few hours before figuring out how to move forward.… Read the post