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
- Why Your YA Characters Sound Like Adults—And How to Fix It
Most YA novels written by adults fail the same way: the teen characters sound like adults trying to remember what being 15 felt like. The problem goes deeper than vocabulary. It’s what the character cares… - The Wound at the Heart of Every Great Romance
Most romance novels get the obstacle wrong. The external conflict—he’s her boss, she’s leaving town next month, there’s a misunderstanding—is decoration. Readers don’t stay for the obstacle. They stay for the wound. Every compelling romance… - How Sentence Length Controls What Your Reader Feels
Most writers have a default sentence length. They write it through everything—action, reflection, grief, joy. They never vary it. And their prose reads flat as a result. Sentence length is one of the most direct… - Fix the Skeleton First: Why Most First Revisions Miss the Point
Most first revisions fail before they start. Writers open the draft, fix sentences—and miss the only questions that matter. You can’t see structure from inside the sentences. After weeks of drafting, you’re too close. You’ll… - The Three Ways to Deliver Backstory—and Why Two of Them Stall Your Story
“As you know, Bob, our family was killed in the fire 12 years ago” is the most mocked line in fiction writing—because we all know characters don’t talk that way. But I see the same… - The 3-Scene Test That Exposes Passive Protagonists
Every confrontation in your manuscript was initiated by someone. If that someone is almost never your protagonist, you have a passive protagonist—and passive protagonists bore readers even in high-stakes plots. Take any 3 scenes. Ask:… - Your Book Blurb Needs a Character Question. Here’s How to Find It.
Most book descriptions read like plot summaries. That’s why they don’t sell. A summary tells the reader what happens. A blurb makes them desperate to find out. Those are different jobs, and confusing them is… - Why Your Reader Shrugs at Your Climax: The Emotional Stakes Test
The protagonist is running for her life. The world is collapsing. The villain has won. And the reader shrugs. Danger and emotional stakes aren’t the same thing. Plot jeopardy comes free with genre—any thriller has… - Why Most Short Stories Are Really Chapter One of a Novel
Most writers treat short stories like compressed novels. The form has a single job: show one moment of irreversible change. A novel carries multiple characters, intersecting problems, a web of subplots. A short story can’t…. - Why Present Tense Is the Most Seductive Mistake in Fiction
First-person present tense is the most seductive mistake in contemporary fiction. Writers discover it in published YA or literary novels and try it themselves. The logic seems sound: “I run down the hallway” feels more… - Why Action Beats Do More Work Than Dialogue Tags
Every dialogue tag does one job: identify the speaker. An action beat does everything else. “I’m fine,” she said. Reader hears the words.She poured the coffee without looking at him. “I’m fine.” Reader sees the… - What Your Character Notices Tells Everything
Most setting descriptions read like the writer paused the story to file a property report. “The room was large, with high ceilings and antique furniture.” We’ve all written it. It tells the reader nothing about…
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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- Short Story Writing
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Craft & Publishing
- Nine Secrets of Story Structure
- Scenes That Sell Your Story
- Navigating the Editing Process
- Publish Your Book Now
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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.