Karina M. SokulskiMay 25, 2021Your Story's A's & B'sWhat ARE your story's A's and B's? The A's and B's of your story are your plot and the subplot. The premise versus the heart of the...
Karina M. SokulskiApr 26, 2021Values Vs VirtuesWhen building a character, one of the first aspects that comes into consideration is what the character values. What manner of justice is...
Karina M. SokulskiMar 1, 2021Enhancing Setting with NatureNo matter the genre you’re writing, setting is always key to a story. Setting is a writer’s backdrop canvas of geographical tone. From...
Karina M. SokulskiJan 28, 2021Determining Themes for Your StoryStarting a story is always the hardest step. There’s a world to construct, characters to develop, a plot to chart and thematic value to...
Karina M. SokulskiJan 26, 2021Writing Temporary Blindness“Padraic swings his flashlight beam over the tracks again and finds a pretty little music box with a hand crank on top. Padraic lifts the...
Karina M. SokulskiJan 2, 2021Writing Habits to Develop for the New YearLet’s face it. Recovering from the impact of 2020 is going to take a while. No matter how steadfast we march forward into this new year,...
Karina M. SokulskiDec 1, 2020Brainstorming Opening ScenesOpening scenes have always been tough for me. So many notes to hit and so little time. Worse, opening scenes lead to first chapters that...
Karina M. SokulskiOct 21, 2020Inspirational "Fox-Holes" of the InternetWhenever I find myself in need of an inspiration boost for my writing, I like turning to my favorite “internet fox-holes” that occupy my...
Karina M. SokulskiAug 27, 2020Types of Character ArcsIn any writing, effective characters are vital to a compelling story. This is especially true if a writer finds themselves the creator of...
Karina M. SokulskiJul 31, 2020Writing a Character StudyWriting a compelling character is vital to any story. Providing your audience someone to root for and worry over is part of the...
Karina M. SokulskiJul 31, 2020How Writing Killed KennyIt isn’t necessary to have seen a single episode of South Park (created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone) to recognize the character in this...
Karina M. SokulskiJul 1, 2020Focus Apps & Environments for Your Writing HabitsIt’s quarantine. This pandemic has relocated us all and we now find ourselves working from home. On the surface, this seems like a dream...
Karina M. SokulskiJul 1, 2020The Pandemic on Your WritingWell, this title speaks for itself doesn’t it? The Corona virus continues to keep the world in a global lockdown and 2020 continues to...
Karina M. SokulskiMar 20, 2020Writing Tension: Tips on Adding Tension to Your StoryDo you remember in school when your English teacher returned the rough draft of your essay and were told “I wasn’t hooked?” All that time...
Karina M. SokulskiFeb 27, 2020My Protagonist is a Loser, but I love Them For ItThe loser protagonist is one of my current favorite trends when it comes to fiction lately. Gone are the days of protagonists with...
Karina SokulskiFeb 3, 2020Chapter Titles: Are Chapter Names Mandatory?The "mandatory" first rule of writing is that everything is as mandatory as it is optional. Writers learn the rules so they can break the...
Karina SokulskiOct 28, 2019Historical Fashion in FictionWe all know how crucial accuracy is when it comes to any historical drama. Whether this drama comes from a book or movie, accuracy is key...
Karina SokulskiOct 27, 2019Writing With a Recorder: A Guide to Effectively Hearing Yourself SpeakHave you ever spent time at your desk talking out your latest scene in your book rather than writing it? As an auditory learner, I've...
Karina SokulskiSep 20, 2019Writing Boot Camp: Building Your Own From HomeSummer is almost over, and autumn is on its way, which means NaNoWriMo is fast approaching. For any novelist, the turn of the season...
Karina SokulskiSep 2, 2019Secrets & LiesNot too long ago, I attended a writing class that focused on the interesting subject matter of "secrets and lies" as narrative devices....