Janice Hardy Readers may not judge a book by its cover, but they will judge it by its opening scene. An opening scene has but one job—to establish the story and convince readers to read the next scene. That’s a lot to ask of a single scene, but it’s not as difficult as it sounds. […]

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy “Not enough conflict” is a phrase I’d wager most writers have heard at some point in their journeys. It’s a complicated term that encompasses more than just a single event in a book, yet we often use it as if a novel has one conflict. We also use it to mean […]

Janice Hardy provides fantastic tips on how to choose the right critique partner(s) for you and your story!

Janice Hardy For some writers, a blank page is a scary thing to face. Others see all that white space as an opportunity, and can't wait to dive in and tell their story. The vast majority of us probably fall somewhere in between, with some ideas making us eager to write, and some fighting us […]

By Janice Hardy I’m working on a new novel, so I’ve been deep in the brainstorming and planning. In an effort to boost my productivity, I did something a little differently this time that could benefit other writers. I’ve added an extra “story clarification” line to my template. It’s a way to remind myself what […]