By Jody Hedlund, @JodyHedlund A friend came up to me at my son's basketball game last weekend and said she'd read my latest YA, An Unce...

I have three events left this year. One with E.M. Tran at University of New Orleans on November 3, and two at the Texas Book Festival on November 5. If you are interested in having me come speak at your organization, please contact my speaking agency

A character cheat sheet can help in the early stages of character development and ensure you write well-rounded characters every time.

Writing a perfect ending for you novel is hard. We've put together 8 mistakes to avoid in order to ensure your best chance at success.

Fiction University is a site dedicated to helping writers and authors improve their writing craft and their publishing careers.

Our seven-step guide will help you tackle common problems all writers face during the first draft: from writer’s block to scenes that are difficult to write.

From Charles Dickens’ nineteenth century work Bleak House to modern classics like the Divergent series, the English language is full of great novels written in the present tense. If you are working on your first book or first novel, writing in the present tense can be a great way to hook readers and create suspense. Choosing between different verb tenses is one of the most important decisions you can make when writing the first draft of a fiction novel or short story; the present tense can give your writing an unmatched sense of immediacy.

This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. Or at least be happier whilst trying! This is Nathan's guide to novel writing in 7 easy (ish!) steps. Nathan won the Costa Book Prize in 2013 with his debut novel, The Shock Of The Fall. It has been translated into 27 languages. Nathan worked part time as a mental health nurse in Bristol and his book’s narrator is a 19 year old boy with schizophrenia. He graduated from Bath Spa University in 2010 with an MA in Creative Writing and is now a lecturer in Creative Writing at the University. About TEDx, x = independently organized event In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

A great first sentence is very important. In a novel, it’s a “promise,” a “handshake,” an “embrace,” a “key.” Great first sentences are celebrated everywhere literature is cherished and mandated everywhere it’s taught. They’re a pleasure and a duty — the “most important sentence in a book,” everyone agrees. But they haven’t always been important. When Daniel […]

As a culture, we often fetishize the debut writer as some sort of self-arising wunderkind, someone that comes “out of nowhere” or had “splashed onto the scene” unannounced, seemingly without a pre-…

Do yourself a favor and read these 10 pieces of advice first.

How to write a killer opening line. Why Google is not research. When to rip it up and start again. Whatever you do, just write! Lessons from acclaimed novelist and creative writing professor Colum McCann

Every year, we’re lucky to have great sponsors for our nonprofit events. Today, our sponsor Reedsy has put together a list of the most common mistakes for rookie novelists (Want more advice from Reedsy? Check out their webcast on writing and submitting query letters!):

Barbara Linn Probst delves into the very heart of your novel: its "About-ness." Learn the questions (and answers) that help your story resonate deeper with readers.

Hey Week 5 and you’re hitting the hump aren’t you? I can feel it. I get to this point also. It’s where the adrenaline of the initial idea is wearing off and you’re starting to find conjuring drama difficult and writing is hard and it’s just easier to muck about on the internet, and the book you’re reading is making you think, I am terrible, everything I do is terrible, I’ll never be as good as this, and you’re ready to junk it in.

Can you remember what you did when you started on the novel you’re working on? If you’ve finished more than one, do you have a way you like to prepare? Are they always the same or are they differen…

We spend hours on the web, but you wouldn't know that from reading contemporary fiction. Novelists have gone to great lengths – setting stories in the past or in remote places – to avoid dealing with the internet. Is this finally changing, asks Laura Miller

No one taught DBC Pierre how to write, but that didn't stop him from winning the Man Booker Prize for his debut novel. In his new book—and here—he explains how you could do the same.

The author of Testament, which won the Harper’s Bazaar Big Book Award 2019, shares the story of her creative journey

How to write a novel: Award-winning novelist Randy Ingermanson teaches his wildly popular Snowflake Method for designing and writing a novel.