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 | Mar 22, 2023 | First Draft, How to write a novel, Revision, writing craft
Without conflict, there is no story. It’s as simple as that. Except that the options for conflict are many and the ways of using it are layered. Not so simple after all! In this video, we’ll break it down so that you can identify the most important elements of...
by Stephanie Dethlefs | Aug 9, 2022 | First Draft, Planning your book, Reading for Writers, writing craft, writing life
We all know that writers should also be avid readers. But do you know what it looks like to actually study a book to see what makes it work? In this episode, we’re exploring what it means to read like a writer by using a “mentor text” to study specific craft...
by Stephanie Dethlefs | Oct 26, 2021 | First Draft, Revision, writing craft, writing life
Let’s talk about describing human characters well. That’s right, humans. Not fantastical flying creatures or beings from other worlds. Plain old, everyday humans. Which means that we don’t have the luxury of quite as much space on the page to describe them, or...
by Stephanie Dethlefs | Jul 6, 2021 | First Draft, Revision, writing craft
Have you heard the phrase “show, don’t tell”? Have you ever had a reader suggest that you “show” as scene rather than just explain it? And have you wondered what the heck they mean or how in the world to do it? The concept of showing vs. telling is really overused and...