Writing Academy Celebrates 25 Years! 2025-04-06
What started as just one class back in 2000 has turned into an array of classes, services and books offered worldwide. Writing Academy now offers five classes taught by Steve Alcorn through more than 1500 colleges, universities, and library systems worldwide. We also offer more than a dozen video classes at https://writingacademy.com And Steve and...
steve
Plot vs. Story 2025-03-24
Plot vs. Story: The Key to Writing a Compelling Novel Many writers, even seasoned ones, often confuse the terms plot and story, using them interchangeably. However, as I explain in How to Fix Your Novel, understanding the crucial difference between these two elements can significantly improve your writing. By keeping plot and story distinct, you...
steve
Are Paperbacks Going Away? 2025-03-05
In recent years, the publishing industry has witnessed a notable decline in paperback editions, particularly in adult nonfiction. Between 2019 and 2024, new adult nonfiction paperback titles decreased by 42%, dropping to just under 40,000. In contrast, hardcover titles experienced a more modest decline of 9% during the same period. Several factors contribute to this...
steve
A Scientific Approach to Scene and Sequel 2024-11-19
Author Ian Fanselow breaks down his methodical approach to writing with an example scene from his new novel “Worlds Apart” I am a very methodical person and planning is my strength. So when I learned about the idea of “Scene and Sequel” it immediately clicked for me, and I developed a system I used for...
steve
Manuscript Evaluation Checklist 2024-08-24
mww42 Manuscript Evaluation ChecklistDownload
steve
Writing “Penelope’s Big Dream” 2023-08-11
Author Mónica Vidalón takes us through the process of writing and publishing her Children’s Book Even though my background is in business and advertising, I have always been passionate about writing and illustrating books for children. When my girls were little, I made a point to read to them very often not only to raise...
steve
What defines the “mystery” genre? 2021-10-12
Mysteries come in many different flavors, from cozies to hard-boiled detectives. So what unites all these disparate plots under one umbrella? All mysteries share 3 things in common A secret, unknown to both protagonist and reader, that poses a story question A protagonist in search of an answer to that story question Clues to allow...
Dani Alcorn
How to Write a Book Synopsis that Makes Agents or Publishers say, “Show Me More!” 2021-09-20
To convince an agent or publisher your manuscript is one they should pay attention to, you need to have a great synopsis. Specific guidelines may vary, but as a rule of thumb, a synopsis is a one-page, double-spaced description of your entire story. It should be about 450 words. The goal is to give your...
Dani Alcorn
Good Writers Aren’t Born, They’re Made 2021-07-23
90% of an author’s quality stems from skills they’ve learned, practiced, and perfected. (Only 10% is natural talent.) So if you feel like the quality of your writing over time looks like this: …It’s probably because you’re trying to learn from the wrong resources at the wrong times. Here are the two mistakes I see...
Dani Alcorn
Interview with Jeremy Ross, Author/Illustrator of the Mustard Series 2021-05-17
I chatted with Amazon Best-Selling author, illustrator, and Writing Academy graduate, Jeremy Ross, about the release of his third picture book in the Mustard Series: Mustard Thinks Twice! (available from Amazon). This time… Ketchup is up to his sneaky tricks again, and Mustard is faced with a difficult decision. Will Mustard join Ketchup and Ranch...
Dani Alcorn

References

http://www.merriam-webster.com/ http://www.thesaurus.com/ http://www.apstylebook.com/ Guide to Grammar and Style http://labarker.com/sitemap.html#writing http://www.writersmarket.com/ scribendi ASJA Celtx

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