Emotional Tension

  Alida has a special announcement… Coming in December: the Story Works Fiction school! Online courses to help you become a better writer.   Word Essential Writing Tips return with a discussion of emotional tension, including an example to help you with the...

Likable Characters

Alida goes on a field trip this week and talks about the concept of writing likable characters. Do you need to write likable characters? Is that really the goal of character development?

Reader Empathy

  Alida explains why your story will fail if you don’t write in such a way that you engage reader’s empathy. Watch the Embody Your Character video here. Have thoughts, comments, or questions? Post them below in the comments section or head over the...

Navel Gazing: Characters Who Think Too Much

  Navel gazing might be a fun pastime for you, but don’t let your characters do it! Alida warns writers of characters who think too much. It creates problems for your story you might not even be aware of, until it’s too late for your readers. If you...
Scheming Characters

Scheming Characters

In this video tip, Alida discusses scheming characters and why they ruin your story.

Embody Your POV Character (why that’s important)

Embody Your POV Character (why that’s important)

Learning to embody your POV (point of view) character is critical to writing impactful scenes, especially action scenes. By action, I don’t mean fist fights and car chases, though they certainly count. I mean any scene in which your POV character is acting. ...

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