Resources, insights, and inspiration for writers at every stage of their journey.
From the instructors who have helped over 100,000 aspiring authors learn their craft.
Recent Articles
- The Best Place to Hide a Clue Is in Plain Sight
Somewhere in your draft is an object the whole plot depends on, and right now it’s wearing a spotlight. Readers resent clues that are truly hidden. They feel cheated when the reveal depends on information… - If You Cannot Name the Room, You Are Writing Summary
Most non-fiction drafts read like reports. Weeks compress into paragraphs. Months into sentences. Everything flows in a smooth current of information. Nothing is ever in a room. Fifty years ago, Tracy Kidder figured out something… - When Tense Shifts Work and When They Wobble
Most novels pick a tense and stick with it. Smart move. But some of the best fiction in print shifts tense on purpose, and when it works, you barely notice. Scott Turow’s Presumed Innocent opens… - Three Ways to Format Internal Monologue (and Why Two Are Wrong)
Your protagonist is thinking. How do you show it? Three approaches exist, and most manuscripts mix them up without knowing the trade-offs. Quotation marks: “I can’t believe she said that.” The old-school method. Readers confuse… - An Em Dash Cuts Dialogue Short. An Ellipsis Lets It Trail.
Two punctuation marks. Same real estate at the end of a dialogue line. Opposite effects. “You don’t understand, I never meant to—” That em dash is a door slamming. The speaker got cut off. Maybe… - The Setting Details That Stick Are the Ones Nobody Noticed
Most setting descriptions read like a museum catalog. The couch is against the wall. The lamp is brass. Cups on the counter. Every object pinned under glass, labeled, described in the same flat voice. The… - End Your Chapter on an Image, Not a Lesson
You wrote a strong chapter. Tension built, dialogue cracked, something changed. Then the last paragraph explains what it all meant. “And in that moment, Sarah understood that forgiveness was a choice she’d been avoiding for… - If Your Scene Needs a Caption, It’s Still a Draft
You wrote a scene. Two characters argue in a kitchen. Dialogue crackles. Then you get nervous. The reader might not get it. So you add: “The tension between them had been building for weeks, ever… - Your Characters Keep Frowning Through Every Emotion
“She frowned.” “He looked angry.” “She smiled sadly.” Three guesses what the reader actually sees. Nothing. A blank face doing a generic thing. Frowning is the default setting for a face. Telling me a character… - Your Genre Decides Your POV Before You Write Chapter One
A thriller written in omniscient third person. A romance in distant third. A literary novel switching to second person mid-chapter because the writer thought it would be interesting. Each is a viewpoint mismatch. The reader… - Your Weak Verbs Are Hiding Behind Helping Verbs
“She was walking toward the door.” “He had been thinking about it.” “They were running.” Every one of those sentences has a verb buried inside it. The verb is hiding behind a helping verb, draining… - The Conversation Your Characters Won’t Have Is the Most Important One
Two people sit at a dinner table. One says, “We need to talk about what happened Saturday.” The other picks up the salt shaker, examines it like evidence, and says, “Did you try the new…
About Writing Academy
Writing Academy offers comprehensive video courses for aspiring authors. Whether you’re writing your first novel, exploring screenwriting, or ready to publish, our self-paced courses provide the structure and guidance you need.
Fiction Writing
- Novel Writing Workshop
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- Mystery Writing Workshop
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
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- Writing for Children
- Short Story Writing
- Suspense & Horror
Craft & Publishing
- Nine Secrets of Story Structure
- Scenes That Sell Your Story
- Navigating the Editing Process
- Publish Your Book Now
- Write Your Life Story
- Travel Writing
- Non-Fiction Workshop
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Your Instructors
Steve Alcorn
USA Today bestselling author of twenty novels and non-fiction books, including mysteries, young adult novels, children’s books, and the acclaimed writer’s guide How to Fix Your Novel. Steve also founded Alcorn McBride Inc, which provides audio and video systems for theme parks worldwide.
Dani Alcorn
Author, instructor, editor, and mentor. Dani trained in screenwriting at Northwestern University and the University of British Columbia and worked as a professional medical writer. She is the author of screenplays and a science fiction novel.