L. MacNaughton's Blog

I’ve talked to dozens of best-selling authors about their early years, before they were published. And the similarities between them are striking. On average, they wrote about half a dozen unpublished manuscripts before they sold a novel. (By the way, this is what I call the Myth of the First Novel. Because it’s hardly ever […]

I’ll let you in on a secret: readers want your character to change. They know, deep down, that your character is unhappy with the status quo at the beginning of your book. Something is terribly wrong in your character’s life, and things can’t keep going on this way. Something’s got to give. Readers fervently hope […]

Thinking about joining a writing group, or starting your own? A supportive and insightful group can help you become a better writer and put you on the path to getting published. But a disorganized group can squelch your enthusiasm to write and leave you feeling confused. To stop the writing group headaches before they began, […]

Is there a simple way to make the plot of your story irresistible, so that your readers keep turning pages, desperate to find out what happens next? Yes. Every irresistible plot contains seven key elements that help catch the reader’s attention and hold it to the very last page. These keys are so universal that […]

Are you writing a novel or story and feeling stuck? Do you have the sneaking suspicion that your story went off the rails somewhere? Not sure what to do with your characters? Don’t worry. You can fix practically any story problem just by asking yourself five simple questions: 1. Who’s really driving the action in […]

Why do heroes and villains do what they do? In Part 1 of this article, we explored Greed, Revenge, and Acceptance, three of the most powerful motivations in literature. Now, let’s find out how you can you can create fascinating characters driven by the need for Identity, Love, or Survival. I is for Identity Who am […]

Do you know the real reasons why your characters do what they do? You should. Without a rock-solid motivation, your characters risk coming across as boring and flat. But if you can give your characters intriguing motivations, you can write a story that truly resonates with readers. That’s because motivation is the engine that powers […]

Science fiction, fantasy and horror stories are full of monsters. But one of the toughest jobs a writer has is coming up with creatures that are new and interesting. When I sat down to write my urban fantasy novel A Kiss Before Doomsday, I knew that the bad guys would be undead creatures. But today’s […]

Even if you hate the idea of writing an outline or synopsis, you can still figure out a plan to help you finish your novel fast, avoid major revisions, and beat writer’s block forever. It’s surprisingly easy. Here’s how to do it. First, turn off your computer and set aside your notebook. For this exercise, […]

Note from Laurence: I’m always excited to showcase the work of other up-and-coming urban fantasy authors. L.R. Braden also happens to be a Colorado author like me. That’s an added bonus for local readers. And she has degrees in both English literature and metalsmithing, so naturally she splits her time between writing and making chainmail […]