Ryan Lanz's Blog, page 11

5 Great Things To Do For Your Writing

A new year signals a new beginning, but it doesn’t have to be. Any time of the year can be your new start. So for all of us writers, here are five great things you can do, this year, right now, for your writing.   One: Start Writing Your Ideas Down If you’re a writer, […]

Busy-ness: Demonstrations of Character

Busy-ness is generally considered unimportant when it comes to plotting. We don’t usually make space for it, because it isn’t central to the plot. Unless we are writing a romance and need a quiet moment for the two characters to interact, we try to keep the pace going. Note, I spelt it with a “y” […]

Why Rough Drafts Should Never Be Perfect

“I’m writing a first draft and reminding myself that I’m simply shoveling sand into a box so that later I can build castles” – Shannon Hale When writers sit down to write, they might have a plan of action. Or they might have no plan at all, and they just want to write whatever comes […]

This Is Why You Hated the Ending to That Book

Too many times, I have found myself trapped in book discussions with people who do not seem to grasp the concept of writing to the emotions. Maybe at some point in my five years of studying English at the undergraduate level I missed something about the purpose behind writing books. Writing can inform and it […]

4 Mistakes to Avoid When Writing Dialogue

Dialogue serves as a powerful thread that weaves together stories, characters, and emotions. Whether you’re a new writer just getting started or a seasoned professional, it can be easy to stumble into dialogue writing pitfalls. Indeed, there are a number of things that might go wrong with dialogue: think characters that sound excessively similar, confusing […]

How to Establish a Character’s Voice

A character’s voice is more than just how they speak, especially if the character in question has a point of view within your story. This voice performs significant feats within your plot, contributing to multiple aspects of your writing and even how the story presents itself to the reader. But how do you work to […]

Book Marketing: 20 Questions to Ask Yourself About Your Target Audience

Imagine this: you are a new author. You have a book published and ready for the public eye. You’ve been through all of the fundamental processes with editing, formatting, and designing. For the first time ever, you promote your book on social media. But wait – why is no one responding?   Recognizing the Market […]

WorldBuilding: Crafting Magic

Fantasy is virtually synonymous with magic, all the way from fireball wielding sorcerers to dragons to simple elemental manipulations. It is in our epic tales, slaying wicked villains, enabling bold heroes, creating social divides and protective wards alike. Given how varied in trait and definition “magic” can be, you’d be hard pressed to find a […]

How Story Structure Relates to Our Lives

I’ve become a structure-holic. I see it everywhere: books, TV, movies, and in life. This obsession has now spilled over into my blog, because I firmly believe knowing how to structure our novels is crucial. It ensures our stories flow properly, shows our character arc, and gives readers satisfaction. When it comes to writing fiction, […]

The Scariest Question Anyone Has Ever Asked Me About Writing

When you’re a writer, people–writers and non-writers alike–ask you a lot of questions. They ask you where your ideas come from. How you get so much writing done in a day (or why you don’t). If you think you’ll ever be as successful as [insert their favorite author here]. For me, the hardest question to […]