Have you ever read a line of dialogue that just felt off? Grammatically, it was correct, but it didn’t sound right. Chances are, it was breaking a maxim of conversation.             These unspoken rules of dialogue are used every day in the real world, governing what it means to speak properly and creating an uncanny valley affect when broken. You probably already know these maxims intuitively, but being able to put them into words will help you understand why dialogue may so

In honor of Halloween this year, my friends and I watched the movie Coraline . Since I’ve been learning how to write middle grade, I was extremely interested in how they presented the relationship between Coraline and her parents. One of the hallmarks of good middle grade fiction is when the disconnect between the adult and child perspectives is present, but the reader is able to understand and sympathize with both. A lot of writers would have taken a plot like Coraline and

I recently reread the second part of Refuse to Be Done by Matt Bell to get some guidance on how to proceed with rewriting The Everstone....

Let me start by saying this is not an exhaustive list. It would probably be impossible to make a list of all the ways to improve a plot,...

Skylar Rivers is the author of the Sky River Write blog, where she posts book reviews, writer interviews, and advice for teens. Despite...

I recently attended the 2024 Realm Makers Christian Writer's Conference, and I thought it would be fun to share some of what I learned...

I’ve learned from experience that both gardening and editing can be overwhelming if you don’t know where to start. Sometimes the weeds...

Writing can be messy. If you’re anything like me, you probably have hundreds of unorganized docs, a plethora of half-filled notebooks,...

I’ve always liked the idea of a well of inspiration. Any place you go to for inspiration, whether you’re just starting out brainstorming...

Lucy is a blossoming teen writer with lots of gifts to share with the world! She has a strong relationship with the Lord and runs a...

This is a process analysis essay I wrote for my English class that I thought would be a great addition to the blog. It was super fun to...

I recently finished reading Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, and I have to admit it was not my kind of novel. I almost stopped reading it...