@DiAnnMills Symbolism is a tangible items that means something psychologically to the character—and translates to the reader the same emotional response. James Scott Bell states, “From the start, we have a connection . . . .” The character(s) and the reader form an attachment to an object that no longer…

@DiAnnMills Writers often struggle with how to incorporate symbolism into their novels or if it’s even necessary. How does it fit into premise and theme? Does it heighten emotion? Does it encourage the reader to see beyond the obvious? Is it part of the story line? How does a writer…

@EdieMelson I read somewhere once that good dialogue is a conversation with the boring parts taken out. I completely agree. Just record and transcribe a normal conversation and you’ll see that it isn’t all that interesting to read without a lot of judicious editing. But even armed with that knowledge,…

@BisbanoWrites Congratulations! No, don’t leave, you are in the right place. I must recognize you for investing time in your writing career. Every instructional blog you read, video you watch, and class you attend, brings you closer to your writing goal. So take a moment and smile. Now, let’s get…

@EdieMelson Have you noticed the phenomenon that occurs when you confess you’re writing a book?  It doesn’t matter if you’re an established author with thirty-plus books under your belt, or someone working on a first novel.  Announce you’re writing a book, and you’ve opened yourself up for unsolicited advice.   [tweet_box…

@LynnHBlackburn I don’t know what kind of writer you are, but I’m the kind of writer that prefers to have at least an hour, preferably a couple of hours, to focus on my story. In a perfect world this would happen every time I sat down to write. I have a…