Apex Writers Jack Nash Wins 2024 Writers of the Future!
I’ve got incredible news about one of our own Apex Writers Group members. Jack Nash took home the grand prize in the Writers and Illustrators of the Future for 2024. If you’re not familiar with Writers of the Future, picture the American Idol of science fiction and fantasy writing. It’s the most prestigious contest for […]
How to Write a Million-Dollar Bestseller: Advice from Stephenie Meyer’s Writing Mentor
Want to discover how Stephenie Meyer created one of the bestselling novels of all time? Learn directly from her mentor, David Farland, who guided her journey from aspiring writer to global literary phenomenon.
How Do You Judge a Story?
Author Mike Resnick has won more Hugo Awards for short stories than any other author. So the other day, I asked him “How do you know when you’re writing a story that it is going to be Hugo-worthy?” His answer surprised me. He said, “Usually, somewhere about the middle of the story, I’ll start to […]
Stories as Transformational Literature
Often we think of stories as mere entertainment, but by telling a story we can actually transform a reader: Identity phase A story does not begin until you have a character, in a milieu, with a conflict. At this phase of the story, my goal is threefold: 1) Create a character who audiences will identify […]
David Farland’s Kick in the Pants—Writing the Perfect Story, Part 3
I’ve been talking about some of the attributes that I would look for in a perfect story, whether it be a novel, movie, or short story. In particular, I’ve been discussing some of the attributes that a story should have that novice writers might not think about when they begin to compose. One I’d like […]
Writing a Perfect Story, Part 15
As one looks at perfect stories, there is nothing that is “required” for the ending. The tale doesn’t have to leave the protagonist in a better state than when it started. Some fine stories actually leave the protagonist emotionally and intellectually ruined. Nor are there any devices that must be used. A perfect story doesn’t […]
David Farland’s Kick in the Pants—Writing the Perfect Story, Part 8
In writing a novel, one must consider, “What makes a perfect character?” Very often I’ve heard writing instructors mention that we should create “strong” characters. After thirty years of writing, I still don’t know what that means—and neither do they! Part of the problem of course is that there are dozens of types of characters—everything […]
David Farland’s Kick in the Pants—Writing the Perfect Story, Part 5
Over the past four days I’ve been enumerating some of the basic virtues that a perfect story—whether it be a movie, novel, or other piece of short fiction—would have. In particular, I’m going to couch this article in terms of writing today. It almost would seem to go without saying that a perfect story would […]
David Farland’s Kick in the Pants—Writing the Perfect Story, Part 4
For the past couple of days I’ve been discussing some of the positive attributes that you will find in a “perfect” story. There are a lot of things that I could discuss, but some take longer than others. Here is another one: Multidimensionality. Very often when I was reading slush for the Writers of the […]
How Books Are Chosen for Publication
Discover the intricate process of how books are chosen for publication, exploring the roles of agents, editors, and marketing departments. Learn what it takes for a new author to break through in the competitive publishing industry.
