Part Two

by Lynette M. Burrows

Mastering the elements of tension, suspense, and conflict in your stories requires that you recognize the difference between them. Last month, in Part I, I discussed the definitions and gave samples of each. This month, we’ll dive deeper into the role of each of those elements in a story and techniques to develop them in your work.… Read the post

by Laurie Schnebly Campbell

Whether you’re writing a coming-of-age story, a serial killer thriller, a quilting cozy, a paranormal epic, a historical romance, or a children’s bedtime story, you want there to be enough tension to keep readers eagerly turning pages.… 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 Shirley Jump

Feeling stuck in your book? Bogged down in the middle? Wandering around aimlessly without an ending? Chances are good you have a plot problem. When clients come to me with books for content editing and tell me they’re stuck on Chapter Three or Chapter Thirty, 99% of the time it’s the plot that’s the problem.… Read the post

by Eldred “Bob” Bird

One of my passions outside of writing is music. I don’t just love the music itself, but also the creative process and the tools that go into making it. I ended up spending so much time at the Musical Instrument Museum here in Phoenix that I now volunteer there.… Read the post