Writer’s Retreat

Writer’s Retreat: Story Structure

What makes a good story? Is it the descriptions? Is it the characters? Or is it the plot? All of these things contribute to making a good story, but it will fall flat if it’s not structured like a story. There are several different ways you can lay out your plot, from the Pixar model…

Read More

Writer’s Retreat: Marketing a Book

What happens after you write your book? A whole lot, if you want to get your book into the hands of readers outside your personal circle. It’s more than a good story, it’s how you go about marketing the book. If you go the traditionally published route, the process is much easier. Those companies handle…

Read More

Writer’s Retreat: Character Design

Good characters will make or break a book. It can be set in an amazing world and have a the best plot ever, but if the characters are flat, your book will be too. That’s why it’s important to design your characters in both word and action. Each character should have a unique voice. The…

Read More

Writer’s Retreat: Publishing Process

Self-publishing can be easy – but that’s usually if you aren’t doing it right. But seriously, it doesn’t have to be a scary process. We want to make sure you can get your book out there with as few hitches as possible, while still making it marketable. Ley Esses broke down each step in the…

Read More

Writer’s Retreat: Editing

It’s a trend we’ve seen too often in self-published works. A trend that’s hurting the outlook on the industry as a whole. Too many new authors are neglecting the editing process. Editing is an essential part of eventually becoming published, even if you choose to self-publish. Too often, new authors let their fear of critique…

Read More

Writer’s Retreat: Cover Design

Covers really do make or break a book’s success. As much as people like to say “don’t judge a book by its cover,” that’s exactly what we do. We’ll pick up books with covers that look interesting or amazing, and we’ll shun books with boring or confusing covers. There are also lots of things to…

Read More

Writer’s Retreat: Worldbuilding

Presentation from the AspenHouse Writer’s Retreat. Leigh Hull discusses the basics on how to create a world that readers will find both realistic and fantastic.

Read More