writing techniques Archives

Write A Story’s Key Scenes First

By Rachel Dacus | August 14, 2024August 14, 2024 by Rachel Dacus

When I start writing a new novel, I experiment with how to begin, and this year I tried writing my story’s key scenes first, right after I wrote to discover the characters. I wrote to hear their voices, frame their backgrounds and culture, shape their appearances, and decide what kind of relationship they will explore. Is it an adventure, a romance, a family drama, or a woman’s journey of self-discovery?

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How to Write a Blurb for Your Book

By Rachel Dacus | August 29, 2017November 12, 2025 by Rachel Dacus

Becoming a novelist is a major amount of fun, but it’s also very hard work. The unexpected challenges are the ones that come after it’s been accepted for publication. One of the big challenges is to write a short persuasive summary of your book, if your publisher requires you to write it, or you’re self-publishing. Wonderful writers have been known to tear out their hair over this. But because these blurbs or book descriptions are…