Posts by Rosemary Bensko
16 Common Fiction Writing Mistakes (And What to Do Instead)
Editor’s note: Below is a collection of 16 common fiction writing mistakes by Writers.com instructor Rosemary Tantra Bensko. It forms a great companion to her short story writing checklist (much of which is applicable to fiction writing of any length). If you want to know common errors fiction writers make—and how to address them—then dive…
Read MoreHow to Become a Professional Blogger: Interview with Jessica Festa
Jessica Festa is a full-time professional blogger and Writers.com instructor who operates two travel blogs: Jessie on a Journey (founded 2011) and Epicure and Culture (founded 2012). In this interview, Jessie speaks with us about how to become a professional blogger, and what you need to know to make a blogging career work for you. How did…
Read MoreThe Danger of “Always” and “Never” Rules in Fiction Writing
Don’t let anyone make you believe that there are rules in fiction writing—except one: Don’t bore your reader. Everything you do either tends to bore the reader or doesn’t. You just need to know the difference and proceed with caution. Equally worth noting is the fact that the words “never” and “always” aren’t appropriate either…
Read MoreWriting the Young Adult Poetry Novel: Interview with Kelly Bingham
We recently interviewed instructor Kelly Bingham on a literary form that is quickly growing in popularity: the young adult poetry novel. In this discussion, Kelly outlines the strengths and challenges of the young adult poetry novel form, describes her journey through her own poetry novels, and offers advice for anyone interested in poetry novel writing. Interview:…
Read MoreStories vs. Situations: How to Know Your Story Will Work in Any Genre
If I were to ask you, “Do you know what a story is?” you would probably feel a little put out. After all, you’ve probably been writing stories for a long time, in fact, you might even make your living from writing stories. Honestly, he’s asking me that? The cheek! “Story” is a common term…
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