Newton’s third law says every action will have an equal but opposite reaction. This is true in stories, too … or at least it should be. How do we get to know characters, even as they flit from one conflict-ridden chase scene to the next? Through reaction beats.

Stories are memorable because of how they make us feel. Writing memoir means remembering and possibly reliving the emotions tied to the experience. I’ve come to think of it as a two-step process.

Writing dialogue is tricky. It seems like it should be the simplest part of the process, because we’re all familiar with what conversations sound like. There’s a difference, though, between a conversation you might have and how to write active dialogue in your story.

Premise is the short summary of your story, also known as the hook or logline, that informs the reader’s expectations of where the story will go. Stay on track and learn how to structure your personal story with strong premise in memoir.

Writer burnout is a cousin to writer’s block, with a few key differences. Both states leave you feeling like you should write, you need to write, but you just can’t. I’ll share five tips that’ll help you recover from writer burnout.

If you’re struggling to figure out how to write your memoir or can’t seem to find the right words, here are three writing practices to make you a better memoir writer and help your memories, reflections, and musings shine bright and clear.

Many aspiring memoirists wonder: how true does my memoir have to be? It can be daunting to think about the holes in our memory, the times we disagree with others about what really happened, or the way time has altered our perception. No one wants to become the latest scandal for lying in a memoir!

Regardless of who I’m talking to—an audience of kid readers, or a group of teachers at a workshop, the most common question I receive is: how to cure writer’s block?

Writers have a love-hate relationship with word count. It’s one of the necessary evils we deal with to determine if a manuscript meets an acceptable published length. So how long should a book be? Here’s a guide to help you answer.

Writers are often cautioned away from flashbacks, but they can connect the dots between the past and who the characters are now. Read on for tips on writing flashbacks that function well.

What happens when you’ve written a memoir but find that your words aren’t resonating with readers the way you thought they would? And upon that realization, what do you do or change to bridge the gap?

We want our readers to connect emotionally to our characters and to feel their pains and struggles—but it can be tricky to know how to describe emotion to create that connection. Here are some effective ways to describe emotion.

Having a daily writing practice is one of the best ways to improve your writing. The more you write, the more you’re able to learn about your style and voice. So, here are five tips to make this dream a reality.

Dialogue tags are invisible and useful when done well, but they can kick a reader out of a story so quickly when they aren’t. Let's talk about which ones work, and which are less effective.

How do you write shy characters? Shy people often have rich inner worlds that are teeming with life; they’re just selective about who they let inside. Here are a few ways to help you show your shy character’s true nature.

How is a writing buddy different from a critique partner or writing partner? The terms are often used interchangeably, but I happen to think that a “writing buddy” is friendlier. So here’s how to be a good one, and boost your own critique and writing skills at the same time.

The act of writing theme is an important ingredient in storytelling, but it doesn’t have to resound with Meaning-with-a-capital-M. In fact, theme works best when it’s subtle and even open to interpretation. Here are three tips that’ll help you incorporate theme into your story.

Some writers have been scribbling stories for so many years, they can’t remember a time when they weren’t writing. Others—like me—specifically remember when they decided to attempt a novel and began typing their first paragraphs. I want to share some advice for beginning writers here who might be feeling overwhelmed, insufficient, or daunted by the road ahead.

When done right, writing realistic dialogue isn’t simple because people aren’t. Here are some tips and tricks for writing dialogue that sounds natural and fits the character who’s speaking.

The opening line is your first opportunity to make an impression and entice your readers. You should want the opening line to work for the story and be meaningful, but at the same time you don’t want it to do too much. Here’s how to find that balance.

Writing female characters can be harder than you expect, as a writer, but it’s important to get right. There are some blind spots that many of us—men and women alike—have when it comes to crafting compelling female characters.

“Write what you know” is common advice, but it can feel like an attempt to limit creativity. You write to discover new places and understand different points of view. If you only write what you know, how can you write about what you don’t know?

Finding time to write can sometimes seem impossible. If you have a packed schedule due to school, your day job, or multiple day jobs, you may think it’s impossible to start your novel, let alone finish it. Here are some ways to carve out time in your day to write.

Show don’t tell is one of the first pieces of advice given to new writers. My first writing professor preached that we all STAY AWAY from exposition. Still, even with SDT etched into our minds, writers slip into exposition and description, missing opportunities to immerse their readers.

Dust motes swirling in the gloom are enchanting, but do you really need to describe them in detail? Let’s look at some guidelines for writing descriptions so you can quench your thirst for gorgeous imagery without sacrificing the pacing of your story.

Most times we can see where our story begins and where it ends, but it’s the muddy middle where we get stuck and face writer’s block. Here are some tips to get you out of the sludge and moving again.

As writers, we know we should try to avoid clichés and stereotypes. But you might not think of unique imagery as you’re writing your first draft, so you drop in a cliché as a placeholder. When revisiting a manuscript to self-edit, though, many writers often overlook the cliché that’s right in front of them: the clichéd image.

Describing eyes in writing is pretty important—and it has a long history. Feast your eyes on this list of clichés about eyes! You won’t need an eagle eye.