Have you ever read a novel that was far too indulgent for its own good?

Perhaps the plot dragged on and on or the prose meandered or the author spent a highly unnecessary amount of time on world-building or the color of their characters' hair. Maybe you weren't exactly sure where the author went wrong, but you know the book could have been at least fifty pages shorter. 

A touch of fluff bears little consequence, of course, but too much filler can easily weigh a story down. Knowing how onerous such indulgent stories can be, it's time we took a look at our own manuscripts and the fluff that may be lurking within. How can you identify and cut your story's filler? Let's discuss today, writers!

When spending so much time working on our stories, it can be difficult to see the forest through the trees.

This is a phenomenon we discussed in our recent article on the importance of gaining objectivity as we edit. When we're in the thick of revising our stories, we may find ourselves so focused on all the little details that we want to improve that we fail to see some of our stories' biggest weaknesses. And the biggest of all, perhaps, are plot holes. 

What are plot holes exactly? And how can you find and fix them throughout your manuscript? Let's break down everything you need to know today, writer!

Struggling to feel confident in your self-editing skills? You're not alone, writer.

Both big picture revisions and tedious line-edits demand that writers consider countless facets of their work, from plot and character arcs to settings, themes, character development, and world-building, then on to dialogue, diction, sentence structure, tone, voice, atmosphere, and beyond. It's no wonder so many writers approach self-editing with extreme trepidation.

And while there are many techniques that can help writers approach revisions and line-edits with confidence, there is one especially powerful trick that I want to break down with you today: maintaining an objective eye. What is objectivity exactly, and how can it help improve your self-editing skills? Let's dive in! 

Writers, it's time to celebrate!

Two years ago, I was seeking connection. Well-Storied's readership was growing like never before, and I was desperate for a community where I could build relationships with the new writers I was meeting — and where those writers could connect with one another in return. It wasn't long before Your Write Dream, our Well-Storied Facebook group, was born. 

As cliché as such a statement may be, I never anticipated that Your Write Dream would one day grow to over 5,000 members. Every day, I'm astounded by the meaningful conversations taking place there, and so humbled to know that what began as a little blog on creative writing in time helped bring so many selfless and inspiring folks together. 

Today, I want to celebrate this incredible community of writers. And what better way than with a giveaway? 

Let’s talk about world-building, writers!

Over the past few weeks, we’ve broken down several key world-building elements here on the blog, including the development of fictional cultures, languages, and magic systems — all to celebrate the arrival of World-Building Warrior, our latest writing workbook here at Well-Storied.

Today, however, I’d like to talk less about how to develop your fictional world and more about the common pitfalls that threaten to derail many writers’ world-building success. Shall we dive in?

Writers, who's ready to craft fully-realized fictional worlds?

I'm absolutely thrilled to announce the arrival of our newest Well-Storied workbook today. The process of crafting an entire fictional world can be more than a little overwhelming. From geography and civilizations to cultures, religions, magic systems, and beyond, dipping your feet into world-building can be difficult enough. Developing a fully-realized fictional world?

Well, a little guidance may be in order...

That's why I've created World-Building Warrior, a digital workbook designed to walk you through the process of building your next fictional world step-by-step. With 167 pages of focused activities and guided questions, this is one resource you don't want to miss!

Abracadabra, alakazam! Let’s talk about crafting magic systems today, writers.

Though not every speculative fiction story needs be threaded with magic, adding a few fantastical powers to your story world can be a fun way to liven up the narrative. In many cases, magical powers also symbolize bigger themes, serving as a vehicle for conversations about privilege, oppression, pride, and other compelling topics.

No matter your approach, building an original and believable magic system requires a good amount of time and care. Let’s work together today to gift our characters some incredible powers, shall we?

Let’s face it: Tolkien set the bar pretty high as far as constructed languages go. 

Whether you’ve considered outlining an entire conlang (that’s world-building slang for “constructed language”) or are simply looking to use a few invented words to liven up your story world, knowing how best to approach the construction of a fictional language is daunting to say the least. 

Is the use of conlang really necessary? How much detail should you put into crafting your fictional language? And how in the world can you incorporate it in a way that feels natural and believable to readers? Let’s talk about all this and more in today’s article, writer!

Let's dive deep into the world-building process, shall we?

Whether you're crafting an entire story world or delving into an alternative or fantastical reality here on Earth, developing fully-realized fictional cultures is key to fantastic world-building. But cultures are rather complex, nebulous beasts. Their ever-evolving nature can make them especially tricky to nail down.

So, what elements define culture? And just how much time and attention should you put into creating your own? Let's discuss all this and more in today's breakdown, writers!

Everyone loves a good villain. 

From Emperor Palpatine to Lord Voldemort, Hannibal Lector, and beyond, countless villains have stood the test of time to become classic fictional favorites. Love to hate ‘em or hate to love ‘em, I think it’s safe to say we want readers to feel just as passionately about the villains in our own stories. 

But how can we, as writers, craft antagonists that go beyond mere mustache-twirling and maniacal laughter to become the truly believable, bone-chilling villains we long for them to be? Let's dive deep into villainy in today's breakdown, writer!

Writing fiction from the perspectives of multiple characters can be a lot of fun.

This style of storytelling has gained quite a bit of popularity in recent decades thanks to the rise of film and television, which often structures its stories to showcase many characters’ perspectives. But utilizing multiple points-of-view isn’t the simplest technique to master. 

I’ve received quite a few requests for tips on this topic in recent months, and being as I’ve dabbled in writing stories with multiple points-of-view myself, I decided it was high time to translate my experience into a few key tips to share with you all today. Shall we dive in?

We want readers to connect with our characters, to step inside their shoes and invest in their journeys.

But creating that easy connection between reader and character isn’t always a clear-cut process. Do our characters need to be, in some way, relatable for readers to connect with their stories? In my opinion, yes, but perhaps not in the way you might think.

Today, writer, let’s cut through the chaos and get straight to the point. If you want to encourage readers to invest in your characters' journeys, here are two key tips you don't want to miss!