David Farland's Writing Tips

At MyStoryDoctor.com, Master Author and Teacher David Farland and his team will lead you through the crucial steps to writing a compelling book, from creative concept to strong completion. Have you ever dreamed of writing a novel? The number one reason most people fail to realize their dream is because they don’t know where to start.

Recognizing Your Own Skill

When you write a story, you often have to ask yourself, “Is this tale good enough to send to editors or agents? Is it ready

David Farland

Scene & Summary: Mastering When to Use Which

Writers regularly need both scene and summary to tell a great story, but sometimes it can be difficult to discern when to use which, for

September C. Fawkes

Brandon Mull Brandon Sanderson Stephenie Meyer

“Author Whisperer” Paves Way for Writers to Pen Bestsellers

Many are under the false impression that bestselling writers simply sit down, write a book, and sell millions; others mistakenly think that great writers are

September C. Fawkes

Considering Your Setting

Real vs. Fictitious Settings In mainstream literature, we typically deal with settings that either already exist or which have existed historically. Thus, when you write

David Farland

Writing Powerful Scenes, Part 7: Say Something!

Strong stories are built through meaningful scenes. Write stories that have meaning by tapping into subtext or theme, or by adding your own insight. Very

David Farland

How to Build a Flesh and Blood Character

One of the best things about being a writer is how ideas for new characters can spring from anywhere. I might be mulling over a

Special Guest

Writing Powerful Scenes, Part 6: Novelty

Have you ever read a novel where the entire book lacked a single element that was original? Sure you have, lots of times. Whenever you

David Farland

The Secret Ingredients for Writing Theme

Many people in the writing community caution against writing with a theme in mind. They argue that if you do, your story will feel contrived,

September C. Fawkes

Writing Powerful Scenes, Part 5: Complexity

Once, I picked up a novel by a new writer and started to read. His scene construction looked fine at first glance: He had a

David Farland

Pinch Points That Reveal the Opposition in Your Fiction

You may have heard of pinch points. Or not. I’d guess that most fiction writers have no clue what they are or why they’re so

Special Guest

Writing Powerful Scenes, Part 4: Conflict

When writing strong scenes, conflict is key. If there is no conflict, the “scene” probably doesn’t contribute much to the story. Every story needs conflicts

David Farland

How to Make Any Character Complex

In order to write a strong story, you almost always need complex characters. The three best ways to make any character complex are to create,

September C. Fawkes

The Ultimate Guide to Writing a Novel

Writing a novel can be a challenging, yet rewarding experience. Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just starting out, this guide will provide you with

Ben Wolverton February 6, 2023

How to Write Bad Dialog

Writing bad dialog is almost an art form unto itself. Recently I read a couple of stories where it felt as if the author was

David Farland January 30, 2023

Pacing a Story: What’s the Rush?

Pacing a story appropriately will keep readers engaged. Unfortunately, many mistakenly think this means the story needs to be rushed. I see a lot of

David Farland January 23, 2023

How Burnout Made Me a Better Author

Burnout. Few words spark such dread among writers. Avoiding it, surviving it, and recovering from it are each the focus of many articles, blogs, podcasts,