When a Writer Does More Than One Thing I used to balk at the thought of sharing my day job with readers at my author events. My inner monologue went like this: They’ll think it’s pedantic! They’ll think you’re an impostor! They’ll…

Is writing not the only passion you pursue? Is it not your only, or even your primary, vocation? Join the crowd. Author Jillian Forsberg reveals how her second gig is tailor fit for a fulfilling life, today at WU.

Reading as an Agent Two very recent WU posts (HERE and HERE) got me thinking about how I read. In one mode, I read manuscripts with an agent’s eyes. In another mode, I read novels (published or pre-) as a craft analys…

Curious about what a literary agent is looking for in a reading experience? Agent, author, and teacher Don Maass shares his reading mindset, today at WU.

This Post is Not About Grief It’s really not. This post is about driving south on I-5, from Bellingham, WA, toward my home in Seattle. It’s raining, and I’m crying.  But I’m not crying because my dad died in December, De…

Grief can inform our stories even when we aren’t consciously addressing it. Sarah Callender explores the phenomenon by attempting to avoid it, today at WU.

Not Simon & Schuster: Deconstructing an Impersonation Scam For writers chasing a traditional publishing contract, an email from Big 5 publisher Simon & Schuster inviting submission might seem like a dream come true. Just one problem: major publishers l…

“For writers chasing a trad pub deal, an email from Simon & Schuster inviting submission might seem like a dream come true.” Writer Beware founder Victoria Strauss breaks down a scam, today at WU.

Who Are You? Part Two Do you remember the scene in that classic film What about Bob? in which Bob arranges to have himself tied to the mast of a sailboat? He wants to be included in his friends’ activities despit…

Identity, both as perceived by oneself or by society, strongly affects characterization. Kristin Hacken South delves the depths of character, using herself, living in Egypt, as an example. A fascinating post, today at WU.

The Twilight of Literacy…? I swear, I know what the word doomscrolling means. After all, it’s been around since the twenty-teens, and was added to dictionaries several years ago now. I’ve regularly used the term, even in ess…

Did we happen to catch you in a doomscrolling session? May we redirect you to a post about literacy? Author Vaughn Roycroft seeks to dispel the growing gloom, today at WU.

On Magic and Spirituality in Story It might be a surprise to some of you that, when it comes to magic in story, WU’s resident fantasy geek (yours truly) is not the most ardent proponent. This is the case in regard to both my reading…

This is a fascinating article from @vaughnroycroft.bsky.social over at @writerunboxed.bsky.social on the use of magic and spirituality in stories.

Practicing Radical Gratitude Though today’s post is not an insightful rumination on fiction craft or the publishing business, and isn’t as polished as I might wish it to be, I hope you’ll stick with me. This is a post about gr…

What do you have to be “radically grateful” for? Author Therese Anne Fowler celebrates finding her way home, today at WU.

Common Mistakes New Writers Make and How to Fix Them For the last few years, I’ve worked as a developmental editor for a small publishing house as well as with creative writing students who want to improve their skills. More recently, I took on the r…

Author and editor Emilie-Noelle Provost reveals the most common errors by new writers, today at WU.B

DREAM BIG: It’s the Year of the Fire Horse What is your Dream Book? Do you have one? That story that has been circling your mind but you have not been ready to write? We are already easing well into 2026 with February almost behind us, but …

“In Eastern astrology, it is the year of the Fire Horse – blazing through the months with passion and creativity… In other words, a lucky year.” Author Gwendolyn Womack tells us how to seize our luck, today at WU.

Let’s Be Clear, Period Lynne Truss, the respected author of Eats, Shoots & Leaves, once said: “There are people who embrace the Oxford comma, and people who don’t, and I’ll just say this: never get betwee…

The battle between the camps espousing the Oxford comma and those against it is unending. See where editor Jim Dempsey stands, today at WU.

The Perfect Novel After editing professionally for nearly forty years, I find it hard to read for pleasure.  Instead of losing myself in a book, the back of my mind is appreciating how the plot is str…

Was Jane Austen a skilled novelist? Of course she was. Let editor Dave King count the ways. Today at WU.

Lighting a Lamp I’ve spent way too long thinking about this post and failing to write it. What’s stopping me? Just plain laziness? The state of the world? The big elephant in the room? In such troubled times I wan…

Can a writing community become a “lamp of hope” in dire times? WU’s resident Druid, Juliet Marillier, thinks so. Stop by and absorb its warmth, today at WU.

When Friday the 13th Meets Valentine’s Day This is the second month in a row where the post I anticipated writing has been preempted by events—this time, by the calendar. Given the conjunction of two of the year’s most emotionally cha…

“Given the conjunction of two of the year’s most emotionally charged days [Friday the 13th & Valentine’s Day] how could I not write about fear and love?” David Corbett takes on fear and love, today at WU.

How to Make Use of Incidental Characters Today’s Mad Skill comes to you by way of Jin Min Lee’s historical epic, Pachinko. Her novel follows the fate of four generations of a family from 1910–1989, first in Japan-occupied Korea, and then …

Incidental characters can have a major impact on a story. Author and teacher Kathryn Craft explores powerful examples, today at WU.

In the Beginning It’s February, we’re on day 5,392 of snow/bitter cold/ice/biting wind (let’s not even get into politics), and all I want to do is lose myself in reading a great book. And yet I have picked up and p…

It’s the age-old question: what makes for a successful opening to a novel? Author Kathleen McCleary offers her insights, today at WU.

The Parent Trap: Regulations for the Fictional Parent In fiction, it is not at all uncommon to meet characters whose parents are lacking in some regard or another. Some parents are physically present but emotionally distant; some die for the sake of t…

Parents are often distant or missing in stories—particularly in the fantasy genre. Author Kit Aldridge explores the ways parents can deepen or even elevate a story, today at WU.

Book Marketing and PR Part XX: 2026 Interview Series This year, for The Buzz series, I will interview marketing-minded authors and other book-loving creators who are doing great things in our industry. For the last few years, the vast majority of aut…

Could podcasting help you along the path to authorial success? WU’s PR expert, Ann-Marie Nieves explores the issue, today at WU.

The Greengrocer Writes a Fantasy Novel “…spent years running from the prince who bound her into his service.” “…a runaway queen and a reluctant prince are thrown together on a quest…” “…as her kingdom barrels toward destruction…” “…King…

Why are so many fantasy books and series centered around monarchy? What are the alternatives? Kelsey Allagood explores fantasy’s royal problems and solutions, today at WU.

So Random If you play Texas Hold ‘Em poker, you have to live with randomness. For instance, suppose that on the initial deal you have two Kings in the hole. Excellent hand, so far, but it’s only the start. F…

Life can be so random. We deal with it every day. So should our characters. Agent and author Don Maass advises us to choose randomness, today at WU.

Writing Standards, Elitism, and the Real Problem Here I didn’t mean to write this column. That is, I had planned to write about the kernel of the topic – effectiveness versus elitism – for well over a year. But as I worked on this, it became clear why…

Can writing actually be labeled as objectively good or bad? What’s at the core of literary elitism? Author Cathy Yardley frankly and bravely speaks out, today at WU.

The Balance of Letting and Making I’ve never been one to follow the “rule” that a writer needs to write every single day; judging by conversations with my writer friends, few of us do. However, many of us, myself …

We believe in inspiration, but we can’t always wait for it to strike. Sometimes we must make ourselves get to work. Author Greer Macallister asks how we find the balance, today at WU.

I Meet the Villain Last How well do you know your story’s villain? Most of the time, my answer would be, “Um, not that well.” Odd for someone who writes romantic suspense, right? But I’m often halfway through a first draf…

How well do you know your villian? And when did you meet them? Author Gwen Hernandez shares her experience, today at WU.

Radical Immersion: Becoming Your Character We hear actors talk about immersing themselves into a character, often using techniques rooted in the methods of the great character actor and director Konstantin Stanislavski. But why don’t we tal…

You’ve heard of method acting—deep immersion that carries on past “cut!” Why not try method writing? Author Boo Walker walks us through it, today at WU.

Writing Without Trying to Manage the Reader Before I became an author, I practiced law. In that career, arguments follow rules. Effort and result are connected in ways you can explain, so outcomes are usually understandable, if not always fa…

Do you write from your head or your heart? Debut novelist Harper Ross explores her journey to writing from her heart, today at WU.

Quiet Lamplight in a Noisy World This corner of my living room has become one of my favorites. It had been so dark there at night, and I remembered this little lamp and brought it out of the basement to help illuminate the paintin…

“As a writer, my task is to illuminate one corner of the world. Each book lights up its own set of ideas, and my job is to be present with what’s being shown to me now, so I can offer my reader a small, truthful slice of life.” Barbara O’Neal, today at WU.

Looking To Reclaim a Rhythm There’s been a palpable feeling here on WU through the opening weeks of 2026. Behind many of the posts and comments I’m sensing alarm and outrage, disappointment and sadness over the state of the w…

Chaotic times have you alarmed? Disappointed? Angry? Distracted? Author Vaughn Roycroft makes the case that doing your work is an act of rebellion, today at WU.

20 Years: A Writer Unboxed Milestone — and a CONTEST This week marks our 20th year online here at Writer Unboxed, and I hope you’ll indulge a little reflection. First, the personal. Guys! Twenty years! What an incredible ride it’s been as…

WU turns 20 today! And we’re celebrating with pie! And a contest! Stop by and join the fun, today at WU.

My Secret Love Affair For many of us, it is so hard to focus right now. Writing can seem impossible. Even reading, almost always a source of comfort, is a struggle. So where then can we turn for escape, for inspiration?…

In times of crisis, it can be difficult to focus. We writers can find difficulty writing. Or even reading. Author Liz Michalski shares her newfound love of poetry, and how it helps her cope, today at WU.

Who Are You? A Writer’s Take Who are you? When you meet someone new, how do you answer this question? You might start with your name, but after that, how do you describe yourself to a stranger? What aspects of yourself do you …

How do we claim our identity as a writer? How do we continue to do so? Author (and scholar and mother and…) Kristin Hacken South explores embracing identity, today at WU.