starting your story Archives - SavvyAuthors

Setting as Character By Paris Wynters

In great fiction, the setting lives from the very first pages. Such places not only feel extremely real, they are dynamic. They change. They affect the characters in the story. They become metaphors, possibly even actors in the drama. Powerfully portrayed settings seem to have a life of their own, but how is that effect achieved? Make …

Classes & Workshops Editing SavvyBlog

Top 5 Developmental Editing Issues by Christine Amsden

Even after eight years of developmental (story) editing, I never know quite what to expect when I read a new client’s work for the first time. Every project is unique, with strengths and weaknesses that need to be weighed and measured. That’s why developmental editing is, in its own way, as creative as writing itself …

SavvyBlog

How to Avoid Saggy Starts by Paris Wynters

You’ve probably all heard the writing term “saggy middle,” which refers to the middle part of a story that is particularly susceptible to stalling and the momentum fizzling, both for the writer while writing it and the reader while reading it. Even if you haven’t heard the term, I’m sure you’ve all read books like …

Classes & Workshops Craft Muse Mind and Body SavvyBlog

Flexing Your Writing Muscles By Becky Martinez

Flex your writing muscles regularly We’ve all heard about how important it is to stay fit and we’ve also been told that the best way to do that is to constantly exercise. Deciding to exercise every so often can make you sore or ready to give up again because it seems like so much work. …