Author: carolalwood

She believed him when he told her some Shadows were good.When sixteen-year-old Violet Blackstone seeks to belong outside of her Christian community, she opens doors to a dark world she doesn’t understand. Her parents’ secret separation and conflict at church fuel her desire to find something more. She sneaks out to a party at Chuckanut House and meets Dakota Selby, the mysterious new guy at … guy at Bellingham High School who reads her tarot cards and tells her she doesn’t belong. When she discovers his family owns Chuckanut House, she plans to hold her parents’ twenty-fifth wedding anniversary party…

Learn how to write characters readers will love. Has an industry professional told you not to dump character history at the beginning of your story? If so, you aren’t alone. But what’s the solution to this common advice? Most writers take the time to design interesting characters with troubled pasts. They long for readers to care about the characters’ lives. However, the sad truth is on page one, … one, readers don’t care–yet. That’s why industry gurus tell writers to stop overusing character history, also called backstory, at the beginning of stories.Have you ever wondered…How to use backstory correctly?What are…