Cross the Finish Line
You may not know it, but you’re a racehorse. If you look at writers from a publisher’s point of view, that’s exactly what you are.
David Farland
August 18, 2017
David Farland: Story Doctor Writing Tips
Recent Writing Tips
When to Stop Polishing a Manuscript
Many new writers don’t know when to stop polishing a manuscript and move on to the next. Part of the reason for that might have
David Farland
August 8, 2017
Be Excited
The most productive writers, I’ve noticed, aren’t necessarily the ones with the most talent or the greatest skills. They may not be the most physically
David Farland
July 26, 2017
Dream Big
“If your dreams do not scare you, they are not big enough.” — Ellen Johnson Sirleaf You may not realize it, but as writers we are all
David Farland
July 20, 2017
What Makes a Story Great?
Recently I’ve had a number of my students ask, “What makes a story great?” For example, what sets apart a story that wins major awards
David Farland
July 7, 2017
The Largest Self-publishing Survey Results
Instead of sending out my own writing tip today, I wanted to share a link to an article about the largest self-publishing survey and its
David Farland
June 28, 2017
What’s in a Word?
In the writing profession, the term word has a special meaning that most new writers don’t understand. If you see the word I and the
David Farland
June 22, 2017
Micro-plotting
Most of you are familiar with plot charts. You’ve heard of terms like inciting incident, try/fail cycles, climax, and denouement. (If you aren’t familiar with
David Farland
June 20, 2017
Winning the Writing Race
How fast do you write? Why? Have you ever asked yourself this? Many writers feel bad because they are too slow, but how fast you
David Farland
June 16, 2017
Writing the All-time Bestselling Novel
Years ago while I was writing some little Star Wars books for Scholastic, my editor, David Levithan called and said that his boss loved my
David Farland
June 13, 2017
Finding the Guts to Write
For many authors, our fear of failure dissuades us from writing. I believe that this is the source of most “writer’s block.” An author is
David Farland
June 6, 2017
Grounding Your Reader
One reader asked me to discuss a bit about what I call “grounding” the reader. Quite simply, grounding is the fine art of letting the
David Farland
June 1, 2017
Why You Only Got an Honorable Mention
A while ago I promised to tell you why I reject good stories when I’m reading for Writers of the Future. So let’s talk about
David Farland
May 25, 2017
Time-wasting Techniques for Writers
Let’s face it, many writers actually avoid writing. In fact, I know lots of writers who have given up completely, but they all seem to
David Farland
May 23, 2017
Where is Your Story?
Here is a question from a fellow writer: “Writing is hard, even when you sit down with a good plan based on good advice. An
David Farland
May 18, 2017
