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Book Review & Contest Insights from Real Reviews and Submissions

What separates great books from the rest? Below are articles with insights from real reviews and contest submissions—what works, what doesn’t, and how to improve your book. Below that are hundreds of articles on topics all authors face in today’s literary landscape. Get help and advice on Writing, Marketing, Publishing, Social Networking and more. Each article has a Comments section so you can read advice from other authors and leave your own.

Why Some Books Win Awards (And Most Don’t) — Insights From Real Contest Submissions New!

What separates award-winning books from the rest? After evaluating contest submissions across a wide range of genres, certain patterns become clear. Some books consistently rise to the top. Others, even with strong ideas and clear effort behind them, fall short. The difference is rarely dramatic—it...

What We’ve Learned From Reviewing Hundreds of Thousands of Books (And Why Most Don’t Stand Out) New!

After reviewing and evaluating books across thousands of submissions over the past two decades, certain patterns become impossible to ignore. Some books immediately stand out to reviewers. Others—even well-intentioned ones—fade into the middle or fall short. The difference is rarely luck. It comes down to...

Onomatopoeic

Ahem! Do I have your attention? Ta-da! Now you see how easy it is. Grr! But sound words can still be frustrating and overused. So, how do we know when to use a sound word. You know what I mean: the onomatopoeic words that are the sound...

The Idea Thieves

I’ve had story ideas stolen. I’m sure we all have. But that shouldn’t be a reason to step back and avoid creative ideas. Perhaps what we should do is keep our ideas to ourselves. However, even that’s not a reliable protective barrier. Years ago, I...

Using Head Hopping in Fiction

Head-hopping can be a jarring experience for readers and can quickly turn an interesting novel into an unintelligible mess. Head-hopping refers to the act of quickly jumping from one character’s point of view to another, essentially occupying another headspace. This is usually intended to give...

Continuum and Writing in the Time Warp of Time Travel

Your story begins in the future or the past or the present and then jumps to another time. The character (or characters) remains the same while experience some sort of jump in time. The general consensus, particularly for those jumping into the past, is that...

Character Agreement

Developing an interesting character who seems believable and real can be a challenge for fiction writers. Part of good character development is consistency. An excellent plot with inconsistent characters can greatly diminish the reader’s experience. Exploring the character before writing the story can prevent a deviation...

Medical Inspirations: Chronic Hiccups

What would you do if you lived for ninety-seven years and over sixty of those were filled with almost constant hiccups? Would it drive you crazy? Would you go about life as if they weren’t happening? Would you spend your waking hours searching for a cure? As...

Keeping Facts Straight When Writing a Series

When working with young writers, usually in the 8 – 12 age bracket, I’m always amused with their idea of a story ending. “To be continued” is the favorite last line. But should a novel drop off a cliff, with a cliff hanger, that follows...

How Long Should Your Novel Be?

How long is a novel? How many pages? How many words? Common enough questions for newbie writers? However, it’s one I’ve also pondered, but not for long. I don’t write to fit the word count or the page number. I write until the story is...

Human Chimerism, Crime, and Writing (Part 2)

If you read my last article, you would know that DNA is not 100 percent foolproof and it might lie. The Lydia Fairchild case raises numerous questions about the reliability of DNA in relation to investigations and prosecutions, amongst other things. Current research indicates that there are...

Human Chimerism, Crime, and Writing (Part 1)

In the twenty-first century, we rely heavily on DNA. Law enforcement officials use it to catch criminals. Families use it to discover their ancestry. Parents use it to determine if their children may be at risk for a certain disability. But what if DNA was wrong? As...