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 Room Shift: How Setting Reveals Emotion
Most writers describe a room once, lock the details in place, and assume their job is done. But a physical space isn’t static; it is a mirror of your character’s mind. A bedroom is a… - Why Phonetic Dialect is a Dialogue Trap
Spelling out regional accents phonetically on the page is a trap. If you write ‘gonna’ or ‘fella’ or try to spell out a thick Boston or Scottish accent letter by letter, you slow the reader… - Is Your Character Fighting on an Empty Stage?
Most action scenes fall flat because characters fight on a blank stage. We watch people run from danger in a generic hallway. We see physical action, but the environment remains invisible; the scene becomes a… - The Silent Trap of Phone Conversations in Fiction
Most phone scenes in first drafts stall a novel’s momentum because characters are trapped in place, reciting dialogue easily replaced by a simple memo. The writer thinks they’re building tension; the reader is just watching… - Why Your Dialogue Paragraphs Are Killing Tension
Most dialogue goes wrong because characters are allowed to finish their thoughts. Real people rarely do. If a character speaks for more than three sentences at a time, you aren’t writing a conversation—you’re writing an… - Why Sunshine at a Funeral Hits Harder Than Rain
Rain at a funeral is a cliche. Sunshine at a funeral is a story. Most weather in fiction works like a mood ring—storm clouds when the character’s angry, sunshine when things go well. Readers barely… - Your Reader Can’t See Your Setting (Their Eyes Are Busy)
Most writers describe their settings with their eyes. Colors, shapes, light, arrangement. Makes sense; that’s how we picture a scene when we imagine one. Problem is, your reader’s eyes are already occupied. They’re reading. Sound… - The Most Powerful Line of Dialogue Is the One Nobody Says
Most writers fill every pause in dialogue with words. One character asks, the other answers. The conversation moves forward, clean and utterly predictable. Real people dodge questions. They change the subject. They pour more coffee…. - Your Setting Isn’t Working If the Scene Could Happen AnywhereSetting isn’t backdrop—it’s a structural force. The physical space should constrain and enable the action in ways that make this scene inseparable from this place.
- Why Your Characters Say What They Don’t Mean
A character says “I’m fine” after learning her sister got the promotion she wanted. She’s not fine. Every reader knows it. What earns their attention is whether she’ll keep pretending, and at what cost. That… - Why Most Prologues Are the Wrong First Chapter
Most prologues are chapter 1 of a different book. The writer can’t bear to start without context. So she writes three pages of backstory—a historical event, a character who won’t appear until page 200, a… - Why Your Novel’s Ending Should Echo Its Beginning
Most novels end on the wrong image. The plot resolves. The protagonist wins or loses or learns something. The last paragraph sums up what it all meant. And the reader puts the book down feeling…
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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.