by Stephanie Dethlefs | Mar 22, 2023 | Audience, First Draft, How to write a novel, Revision, writing craft
What makes a scene a scene? Is a scene the same as a chapter? And why does it matter? In this video, we’re breaking down the elements of a solid scene and clearing up some common misunderstandings. Transcript: Stephanie: (00:06)Hello writers! Scenes are the building...
by Stephanie Dethlefs | Oct 4, 2022 | Audience, How to write a novel, writing craft, writing life
You can increase the chances that a reader will connect with your story, and understanding your ideal reader is one way to do just that. If you want the point of your story to come across loud and clear, you need to understand what your ideal reader is bringing to the...
by Stephanie Dethlefs | Sep 13, 2022 | Audience, Character Development, Planning your book, writing craft
Who is your main character? More importantly, why are they making the decisions they’re making in the story? If you want your reader to care about what happens next, the best way is to answer these three essential questions about your protagonist. You can’t guarantee...
by Stephanie Dethlefs | Jul 5, 2022 | Audience, Character Development, First Draft, Planning your book, Revision
Your protagonist is not just bouncing from one event to another. They are changing as a result of those events. In this episode, we dig into your protagonist’s arc of emotional change, both why it matters and how to establish it. Text version: Hello writers! Here is...
by Stephanie Dethlefs | Jun 13, 2022 | Audience, First Draft, Planning your book, Revision
Have you ever read or heard a story that left you uninterested or unengaged or just plain bored? A trap that novelists can easily fall into is that of not knowing (or not sharing) what the novel is really about. In this episode we are exploring what questions to ask...
by Stephanie Dethlefs | Dec 7, 2021 | Audience, First Draft, Planning your book, Writing for Young Readers, Writing middle grade, Writing YA
There are those who believe that writing for young readers is easier than writing for adults, but they couldn’t be more wrong! When we write for young readers, we need to consider the same things for them as we do adult readers, with the added understanding of their...
