There are plenty of articles online writers conference preparation—what to pack, what to wear, how to behave, and how to get the most out of your experience. But what about after the conference is over?

Populating your world with interesting people can make readers care about your story, and writing relationships between characters can inspire them to ship, daydream, and root for your characters. Here’s how to help them come alive on the page as real, believable people.

You’ve typed ‘The End’ on your manuscript, and now you’re ready to get published. Not yet! First, finding critique partners will help you polish your work for submission. 

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.

Once the manuscript has been completed, submitted, and accepted, writers can feel like the bulk of their work is done. It would seem only small corrections should need to be made. Until the agent/editor feedback comes. Use these strategies to incorporate it for stronger work.

Once you’ve finished the first draft of your story, it’s time to tackle chapter one revision. Ask yourself the following questions to determine whether your first impression energizes the reader to demand the full story.

NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) is an intense time for writers who participate. I hope it was everything you were looking for. But the end is near. What’s next?

If you've received vague revision instructions like “go deeper," we have some specific revision techniques that'll help you take your work to the next level.

There’s an important difference between editing and revising, although writers tend to use “editing” and “revising” as interchangeable terms to mean anything other than drafting. You’ll need to do both, so it’s helpful to understand the difference.

The concept of premise vs. plot is a common stumbling block for many writers. They’ll think they have a killer idea for a manuscript lined up, but when they sit down to write, the energy fizzles out partway through. Why isn’t a great idea enough?

Rewriting a book doesn’t mean your idea or your writing are bad. It means there’s a better way to show readers the essence of what you’re trying to tell them. Here are 3 helpful tips to get you started!

Rewriting a book may seem like a daunting task, but it’s worth it. Not only will rewriting develop your narrative, but it’ll make you a better writer. Here’s how.

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 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.

You got a full manuscript request. Cue the panic. Now, how should you polish an entire novel or memoir for submission so every page sings—without wanting to gouge out your eyeballs? Follow these ten steps!

An active protagonist drives the story. Meaning? Your main character should want specific outcomes and fight for them. That’s where the conflict in the story comes from: everything that fights back. For tips on activating the hero of your story, read on.

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.

One of the most difficult parts of submitting a manuscript or query to an agent or publisher is figuring out how to write a novel synopsis. That task is different every time and for every book. Just like the task of writing each book is different and calls upon different skills, crafting a synopsis for each manuscript is different, as well.

Raising the stakes is a great way to sew tension in your story, and fear of failure is something everyone can relate to. The constant battle between running toward the goal while running away from the alternative will keep readers engaged and invested in your characters. Know how to identify your stakes and when to make them bigger.

If you’re a beginning writer, you may be wondering how to organize your writing. Working on a novel means you’ll have lots of bits and pieces to keep track of: character and setting notes, plot outlines, reference photos, versions of your manuscript, notes to yourself, quotes and inspiration to keep you going when the going gets tough...yikes!

Tips for how to be a good critique partner and how to contribute to your writing community. Learn how to give writing critique here.

Winter is the perfect season to establish your writing resolutions and form the habits that will lead to better productivity. There is so much you could accomplish in the year ahead! Read on for tips on how to develop—and crush!—your writing resolutions.

Many writers struggle with how to deal with negative criticism. Not all writing feedback you receive in your lifetime will be “constructive criticism”. Some of it may feel like straight-up criticism criticism, or worse, destructive criticism. Ouch! Here are some thoughts on bouncing back from a devastating writing critique, and what to do next.

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.

There is a lot of controversy in the writing world about sensitivity readers, so what is a sensitivity reader? What does a sensitivity reader do? Learn more about this specializing writing and editing role here.

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.

One question many writers have when they begin work on a novel is how to write a compelling protagonist and antagonist. These are vital roles to function well in a manuscript. How do we make sure they leap off the page?

Setting writing critique expectations is important, especially when a writer starts out getting writing feedback. A lot of writers are in a good headspace when they approach critique. Nervous, maybe. Vulnerable, of course. But eager to learn and give back to a fellow writer.

Now that you have a complete manuscript, you have some exciting decisions to make about what you want to do next. Whether Camp NaNoWriMo was a fun personal project or your first step on the path to publication, now is a great time to use your momentum to take your writing to new heights.