Authority Self-Publishing

47 Character Development Prompts To Flesh Out Your Book Characters

December 8, 2023September 7, 2023 by Barrie Davenport

What kind of person is your main character?

Maybe you’ve started to hear their voice in your head, but they just haven’t been very talkative.

What can you do to make your character reveal their full self, quirks and all?

The best way to get to know the people you’ve created is to use character development writing prompts.

We’ve created a list of 47 to put each of your key characters to the test.

Choose your own adventures for them. And see what your characters reveal about themselves.

Actions speak louder than words. But you’ll need both.

Write Like Water: 9 Ways to Achieve Effortless Writing Flow

August 23, 2023 by Barrie Davenport

Whether you’re working on the next great American novel or drafting your company’s annual report, choppy, disjointed writing kills readability.

Smooth, seamless prose sweeps readers along effortlessly.

So how can you transform stilted, clumsy text into flowing, lyrical passages?

In this article, we provide simple yet powerful tips to dramatically improve the flow of your writing.

From varying sentence structure to connecting paragraphs cohesively, these techniques will help you captivate readers from the very first word.

List of Book Genres: 30 Fiction And Nonfiction Genres You Should Know

December 10, 2023July 20, 2023 by Barrie Davenport

What’s so important about knowing the genres of books?

Well, if you’re an author with a work in progress, you’ll want to know its genre to ensure your ideal readers find and read it.

List a science fiction novel as a paranormal romance, for example, and you’ll likely end up with a flurry of negative reviews. No one wants that.

Readers of specific book genres have expectations you’ll want to meet if you want them to enjoy your book and recommend it to others.

You also want readers to see your book’s cover and know it’s the genre they want.

So, knowing your book’s genre not only helps with marketing. It can make all the difference in your writing career.

When And How To Use “Per Our Conversation” + 9 Alternative Phrases

July 17, 2023 by Barrie Davenport

“Per our conversation” is a phrase that’s frequently tossed around, and today, we’re breaking it down.

What does it mean?

Is it grammatically sound?

When should you use it?

Is it rude — or can it be?

All the answers are below.

So pull up a screen and prepare to learn everything you could possibly want to know about “per our conversation.”

Understanding Second-Person Point Of View + 7 Examples

July 16, 2023 by Barrie Davenport

When writing fiction, it’s more usual to use either first person, third person omniscient, or third person limited.

Second person has its drawbacks and limitations, but sometimes it’s the exact right point of view for the story, and if that’s the case, then you should go for it.

It can also be an interesting exercise to try writing your current work in progress in second person to look at it from a different angle and see it in a way you may not have been able to see it before.

It’s certainly worth exploring second-person point of view to improve your writing and perhaps find new ways to create your characters and write your books.

In this article, we’re going to look at what second-person point of view is, why you should use it, why you might avoid it, and we’ll give you some examples of writing in second person.

Wondering About The Longest Book Series? Here Are 11 That Might Surprise You

July 10, 2023 by Ron Clendenin

A book series is the literary equivalent of a long-running television show.

They feature in-depth plots and detailed character development, making them more engaging to many readers.

Today, we’re looking at some of the longest-running book series of all time.

We tried to add something for everyone and hope you find an option to test drive.

How Many Words Should Be In A Chapter Of A Book?

November 27, 2023July 6, 2023 by Barrie Davenport

If you’re wondering how long you should make your book chapters, think of books you’ve read that kept a firm grip on your interest from one chapter to the next.

Do you remember taking half an hour or more to get through one chapter?

Did it feel too long, too short, or just right for the book you were reading?

Fortunately for us writers, there’s room for flexibility.

And as a rule, when it comes to deciding how many words in a chapter, it pays to think of your reader’s experience first.