Skip to content

K.M. Allan

Writing Advice From A YA Author Powered By Chocolate And Green Tea

  • Home
  • Blackbirch
    • Blackbirch: The Dark Half
    • Blackbirch: The Beginning
  • Blogs
  • Writing Checklists
  • About
  • Contact

Tag: characters

Editing Tips: What To Check When It Feels Like Something Is Missing

On November 5, 2021 By K.M. Allan20 Comments

Well, you did it. You took that spark of an idea, fleshed it out into an entire book, edited the last page for the last time, and finished one final read-through. The book is done. At least it should be. As proud as you were, there was a little voice in your head as you …

Continue reading Editing Tips: What To Check When It Feels Like Something Is Missing

5 Ways To Describe A Character Without Using The Clichéd Mirror Look

On April 9, 2021 By K.M. Allan28 Comments

Just as book trends see certain genres fall in and out of favor, there are certain elements of books that once worked but now no longer do. One such example is the clichéd mirror look, aka when the author has the MC look in a mirror and describe themselves so the reader knows how they …

Continue reading 5 Ways To Describe A Character Without Using The Clichéd Mirror Look

Point Of View Errors! How To Spot And Fix Them

On December 11, 2020 By K.M. Allan16 Comments

Ah, point of view (POV), a writing essential to include in your book but something that you can get so easily wrong. It doesn't take much to slip from the view of the character who is telling your story, and you might not even notice you've done it. That's where the following advice comes in …

Continue reading Point Of View Errors! How To Spot And Fix Them

7 Tips For Creating Awesome Characters

On November 27, 2020 By K.M. Allan23 Comments

While a great storyline and an intense setting can make for an excellent read, what really creates a great book is awesome characters. After all, how many pages have you kept turning just to see what happens to the MC? Getting your reader to care about your characters is a task every writer should aim …

Continue reading 7 Tips For Creating Awesome Characters

Book Scenes: Four Key Things To Establish

On September 18, 2020 By K.M. Allan11 Comments

Unless you're a super-organized planner who stuck to your writing outline religiously, there will come a point during editing when you'll re-read a scene and have to make sure it includes everything you wanted. This is my dilemma as I work on my current work in progress. I wrote the draft back in 2017, so …

Continue reading Book Scenes: Four Key Things To Establish

Unintentional Story Issues, And How To Fix Them

On June 12, 2020November 19, 2021 By K.M. Allan32 Comments

When you're the writer of a manuscript, everything about the story makes sense to you. And why wouldn't it? You're the one who has spent hours writing your way through countless drafts. The trouble with being the person who's worked on the story so intensely means it can be hard for you to notice when …

Continue reading Unintentional Story Issues, And How To Fix Them

Tips For Book Openings

Tips For Book Openings

On April 10, 2020November 19, 2021 By K.M. Allan25 Comments

If you've entrenched yourself in the writing world, you've no doubt heard what doesn't make for a good book opening. These tips range from ditching prologues to the ultimate pressure inducing advice: the opening sentence/paragraph/page must automatically engage the reader or they won't read on. While this advice is enough to make you consider taking …

Continue reading Tips For Book Openings

5 Tips For Making Your Characters Distinct

5 Tips For Making Your Characters Distinct

On September 17, 2019November 19, 2021 By K.M. Allan18 Comments

You might think confusing characters only happen in movies. It's easy to get characters visually mixed up when the actors/actresses have the same good looks and do-good temperament. But it happens on the page too. And why wouldn't it? The characters come from the mind of one person, the voice of one writer, and that …

Continue reading 5 Tips For Making Your Characters Distinct

How To Tell If Your Writing Has Slipped Out Of Deep POV

How To Tell If Your Writing Has Slipped Out Of Deep POV

On July 26, 2019November 19, 2021 By K.M. Allan43 Comments

Ah, deep POV. It's something I'd never heard of when I started writing and was something I wasn't even doing a year ago. Since learning this wonderful writing trick (which you can read about here), I've added a new depth to my writing and upgraded to being a serious writer. As with any new skill …

Continue reading How To Tell If Your Writing Has Slipped Out Of Deep POV

Posts navigation

Older posts

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 4,288 other followers

Follow K.M. Allan on WordPress.com
K.M. Allan

K.M. Allan

YA writer and blogger. Author of The Blackbirch Series, The Beginning and The Dark Half (books 1 & 2) are out now! I'm also an identical twin, but not the evil one.

View Full Profile →

Follow Me

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Goodreads
  • RSS Feed

Search

Blackbirch: The Beginning

Blackbirch: The Dark Half

Recent Posts

  • Writing A Book: 6 Ending Types
  • April 2022 Roundup
  • 3 Essential Reminders For When (You Think) Your Manuscript Sucks
  • Ep 106 | The Merry Writer Podcast
  • March 2022 Roundup

Top Posts

  • The Delete Checklist
  • Writing A Book: 6 Ending Types
  • The Weak Word Checklist
  • The Active Word Checklist
  • The Basic Scene Checklist

Follow Me On Instagram

#WritingTipWednesday - Giving Each Question An Answer.
What’s watching Josh Taylor? Find out here: https://books2read.com/blackbirch1 (clickable link in bio).
Yesterday I started a new outline for my 2017 draft of #Blackbirch 4. While the overall plot still works, there are elements that need to be added to bring the story & characters in-line with the preceding 3 books. Once I have those details worked out, I’ll then start a re-write as my writing style is different now too. Have you ever re-written a completed MS from scratch? Do you have any tips for me?
#Blackbirch: The Beginning https://books2read.com/blackbirch1 (clickable link in bio).
Create a website or blog at WordPress.com
  • Follow Following
    • K.M. Allan
    • Join 4,288 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • K.M. Allan
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...