#82: How to Write Fiction That Feels True

You know everything about your character’s past. That’s exactly as it should be. But knowing it and putting it all on the page are two different things, and the difference decides whether your reader ...

10 Nov 24min

You know everything about your character. Her history. Her wounds. What she ate for breakfast the morning her life fell apart. So why doesn’t your reader love her the way you do? The answer isn’t in y...

3 Nov 17min

Your dialogue sounds natural. It’s exactly what these two people would say to each other. So why does the scene still feel flat? Making your characters argue won’t necessarily help. Neither will givin...

27 Okt 19min

You've written chapters, studied craft, maybe tried an outline or three. So why is it still so hard to decide where your story begins, which scenes belong, or what needs to happen in the middle? Often...

20 Okt 18min

When your story feels stuck, it's tempting to keep adding things: another scene, more backstory, a new subplot. But often the answer isn't to add more. It's to reconnect with why you're writing this s...

13 Okt 16min

Most writers can describe their plot in detail: what happens, in what order, how it ends. Far fewer can describe what their character actually gains, loses, or finally understands by the time the stor...

6 Okt 17min

You've revised your first chapter so many times you could recite it, and it still isn't pulling a reader in. After years of reading first chapters, here's what I've learned: when one works, it's rarel...

29 Sep 15min

You've written the scenes. Your characters are doing things. So why does the middle of your story still feel like quicksand? If your first instinct is to add more, hold that thought. In this episode, ...

22 Sep 13min