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5 Essential Writing Strategies for Authors

Great writing rarely happens by accident. Whether you’re writing novels, children’s books, or short stories, there are a handful of foundational storytelling strategies that consistently separate engaging authors from forgettable ones. These writing strategies will help you create stronger openings, better characters, tighter plots, and more emotionally compelling stories.

How to Create Major Characters from Scratch

Curious how authors create incredible leading characters from out of nowhere? Well, be curious no more! After reading these techniques, you will be able to create brilliantly believable characters your readers and listeners will love. In fact, you will want to re-visit some of your old characters and give them a new paint job. Leave the boring, one-dimensional characters to your competition.

Write Without Being Preachy

Write Picture Books Without Being Preachy

Teaching through stories has been around since the dawn of communication. Although when that dawn occurred is hotly contested, what isn't contested is that stories are excellent methods to communicate a message. They are so excellent, in fact, writers often abuse them by being too preachy. What this really means is that the lesson or purpose in a story, especially in children's books and even more so if it's a picture book, should be subtle. Does this come natural to you? Probably not. But it can, if you implement these 5 techniques.

You Can Learn How to Communicate More Effectively

You and I fight for many things. Life. Love. Liberty. Happiness. Leftover pizza. At the heart of it all, is communication. And not just any communication. Effective communication. Do you understand the power of words? Do you fully grasp the importance of communicating your thoughts effectively? Take a walk with me for just a few minutes and find how you can become a master of communicating effectively.

Who Is the Real Audience for Picture Books?

When writing a picture book, it's easy to believe your audience is an editor, literary agent, parent, teacher, or librarian. After all, those are often the people deciding whether your book gets published, purchased, or shared. But while many people influence a picture book's success, only one audience truly determines whether the story endures. The real audience for a picture book is the child experiencing it. A child may not buy the book, approve the manuscript, or negotiate the publishing contract. Yet they decide whether the story is remembered, requested again, or forgotten after a single reading. Understanding this distinction can dramatically improve your writing and help you create stories that resonate with young readers and listeners. This distinction is one of the most important lessons new picture book authors can learn.

How to Become a Better Writer: The Two Habits That Matter Most

Writers are constantly searching for better techniques, better routines, and better strategies to improve their work. But most writing improvement comes back to two simple habits: writing consistently and reading intentionally. No shortcut replaces either one. If you want to become a stronger writer over time, these are the two skills that matter most.

How to Create Tension in Writing: Simple Techniques That Keep Readers Turning Pages

Most people try to avoid tension in real life. We dislike uncertainty, conflict, fear, and difficult decisions. In fiction, however, tension is one of the most important tools a writer can use. Whether you're writing novels, short stories, picture books, or memoirs, tension creates curiosity. It gives readers a reason to keep turning pages because they want to know what happens next. Understanding how tension works can dramatically improve your writing.

The Publishing Trend That Never Changes

Every year authors are told to pay attention to trends. Which genres are growing? Which categories are declining? Which books are selling? While understanding the publishing industry has value, many aspiring authors make the same mistake. They spend more time studying trends than creating books. The truth is that most publishing trends come and go. But one publishing principle has remained unchanged for decades: readers return to authors who consistently create work they love.