Daily Short Stories from The Penned Sleuth

Writing a protagonist is fun, there is no doubt about it. Developing their style, their winning personality and forming an attachment to them. It is a powerful feeling. Yet, there is a mistake beginner writers often make when creating and writing their character. The character is flawless, they cannot go wrong. Here is why you should go the other way and write flawed characters.

Pacing is something that few writers ever consider when writing their novel. Perhaps this is a good thing, as many writers have a natural sense of how to pace their novels. However, there are those who have too many quiet moments or far too many action scenes in their novel. I am going to show you how to pace your novel with an easy step-by-step process. Let’s jump into it!

It is the eve of Halloween and my thoughts turn to that of terror. The night used to be filled with horrors that kept me awake and my heart pounding. Now, as I’ve grown older, what stresses me isn’t fictional monsters, but the same stresses every adult has. In that sense, it’s difficult to write a thriller to scare my readers. Or is it?

The occult, the supernatural, science fiction and dark fantasy are just a few words to describe the works of H. P. Lovecraft. The cosmic horror from his works have spread around the world, images recognizable or not, his monsters and deities are a favorite among readers. Yet, what does it take to write a cosmic horror, a dark fantasy such as the Lovecraftian mythos? It takes a nightmare.

We all have our own ways of writing. Writers prefer to write for themselves, writing a story in a way that they enjoy reading it. Some writers prefer to write for the readers, giving them a structure the reader is no doubt familiar with. Yet, the question is raised whether you can write an enjoyable story and novel if it were written as a TV show? Let’s find out!

Writing a book is by no means a simple task, but it can be made easier through a rather interesting method. Whether you write a book with several perspectives or only one, writing the story in the character of the protagonist can have a profound effect. Let’s jump into it!

Whether you have been writing for years or for weeks, writing in a group has a profound effect on your work. From speeding up the process of fixing basic mistakes, writing in a group is certainly a method to consider. Let us check out what it has to offer!

You have read it everywhere. The negative articles on writing, the pains and mediocre rewards. Whether they surface on popular websites or in blog posts, these articles contain little to no positives on writing. In that sense, surfing the internet as a writer can be ultimately depressing. To balance it out, here is a mental splurge in the positive aspects of being a writer. Let’s begin!

You have seen plenty of articles discuss the benefits of daily writing. Yet, I'm sure few, if any, have told you how to get into daily writing. First, what about writer's block? What's the schedule? Where is the inspiration? I will answer these questions and more. Here is how you can get the daily writing habit. Let's get to it!

For the beginner writer, writing involves gross amounts of verbiage. For the professional writer, writing is for the target market. For an effective writer, writing is getting a message across to the reader. What better way to do that than through simple, powerful sentences?

Dialogue is a wonderful essential for any book with speaking characters. Yet, it is easy to write mediocre dialogue. Here are 15 rules that ensure your next dialogue serves its purpose and has an impact on the reader. Let's break the ice!

You have heard these lies before. Either from critics, people close to you or even yourself. These are the lies that are slowing you to a halt. The lies which cripple your creative flow, break your self-esteem. In short, these are the lies killing your passion. I am going to tell you why these lies should mean nothing to you.

I had many expectations when it came to my writing career. What I envisioned was cliche, but it was desirable as well. Yet, what I got was completely different in the beginning. That didn't stop the dream, but I had trouble seeing how it would become a reality. For the writers with great expectations, this piece is for you. Read on!

Every writer has their personal rules that help them strengthen their writing style. These rules not only reinforce their way of writing, but push them to improve their writing as well. If you are sincere about improving your writing, you will start developing your own rules as well. If you don't know what rules to set yourself, I am going to share my writing rules with you so you can get an idea. Let's jump into it!

Now, this is a piece I have been looking forward to writing for a long time. There are novels that place me in a world that I can escape to. These novels have helped me grow as a person or helped me get through tough times. These are the novels that I can read today for a healthy dose of nostalgia. These are the greatest, must-read fantasy books in my humble opinion, let's take a look!

Writing has taught me more about business and life than I could have hoped for. I knew it would be a tough career getting into it. After all, the readers today are not the readers when I was growing up. Times have changed and so has the taste of everyone. To put that into perspective, I'm twenty-one and so much has changed. Here is what I know.

​A question you need to ask yourself if you are considering a career in writing. Don't overestimate your interest in writing as a 'calling'. Your greater purpose in life is whatever you make of it. Like many career choices, you shouldn't jump straight into writing. I am going to ask you some clear questions that will help you decide once and for all if the writing career is for you.

More often than not, the side characters are better than the main characters. You may find this a curious statement to make. The main character is the center of attention, so why are side characters better? It all comes down to creative freedom. I am going to tell you what you need to know about side-characters. Make them interesting, make them powerful and here is how!

At the time of writing this article I have written close to three-hundred stories. Writing a short story every day can me straining for even the most imaginative mind. However, after all this time I have developed my own techniques to make the challenge fun, filled with variety and improving my writing with each passing day. These are the techniques I am going to share with you!

Too many writers around the world struggle to write their novels. It’s understandable, every writer struggles with their first book. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t develop the habits of an effective writer as soon as possible. Over the years I have formed my own habits and so have other writers, but a lot of us share similar habits that make us more productive and overall, better writers. Let’s take a look and learn together!