Janice Hardy: The Books

I write novels for both teens and adults, and nonfiction books on the craft of writing.

The Shifter (Book One of The Healing Wars)

A dangerous secret. A deadly skill.

Nya is an orphan struggling for survival in a city crippled by war. She is also a Taker—with her touch, she can heal injuries, pulling pain from another person into her own body. But unlike her sister, Tali, and the other Takers who become Healers, Nya's skill is flawed: she can't push that pain into pynvium, the enchanted metal used to store it. All she can do is shift it into another person, a dangerous skill that she must keep hidden. If discovered, she could be used as a human weapon.

But one day Nya pushes her luck too far and exposes her secret to a pain merchant eager to use her shifting ability for his own sinister purposes. She refuses—until Tali and other League Healers start disappearing mysteriously. Now Nya must decide: How far will she go to get Tali back alive?

Available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audio book formats from Balzer+Bray/HarperCollins.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indie Bound | iTunes | And Other Retailers

Blue Fire (Book Two of The Healing Wars)

Part fugitive, part hero, fifteen-year-old Nya is barely staying ahead of the Duke of Baseer’s trackers. Wanted for a crime she didn’t mean to commit, she risks capture to protect every Taker she can find, determined to prevent the Duke from using them in his fiendish experiments. But resolve isn’t enough to protect any of them, and Nya soon realizes that the only way to keep them all out of the Duke’s clutches is to flee Geveg. Unfortunately, the Duke’s best tracker has other ideas.

Nya finds herself trapped in the last place she ever wanted to be, forced to trust the last people she ever thought she could. More is at stake than just the people of Geveg, and the closer she gets to uncovering the Duke’s plan, the more she discovers how critical she is to his victory. To save Geveg, she just might have to save Baseer—if she doesn’t destroy it first.

Available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audio book formats from Balzer+Bray/HarperCollins.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indie Bound | iTunes | And Other Retailers

Darkfall (Book Three of The Healing Wars)

War has come.

Nya’s the one who brought it. And the people love her for it.

With Baseer in shambles and Geveg now an impenetrable military stronghold, Nya and the Underground have fled to a safer location—without Tali. Nya is guilt-ridden over leaving her sister behind and vows to find her, but with the rebellion in full swing and refugees flooding the Three Territories, she fears she never will.

The Duke, desperate to reclaim the throne as his own, has rallied his powerful army. And they are on the move, destroying anyone who gets in the way.

To save her sister, her family, and her people, Nya needs to stay ahead of the Duke’s army and find a way to build one of her own. Past hurts must be healed, past wrongs must be righted, and Nya must decide: Is she merely a pawn in the rebellion, a symbol of hope—or is she ready to be a hero?

Available in hardcover and ebook formats from Balzer+Bray/HarperCollins.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indie Bound | iTunes |And Other Retailers

Blood Ties (A Grace Harper Novel)

On the run from beings that can’t possibly exist…

Grace Harper has spent her life on the run, ever since her mother’s unnatural death at the hands of creatures that shouldn’t be real. It’s hard to believe in vampires, but the things chasing her fit every legend she’s ever heard. She dubs them “Pretty Boys,” though their beautiful faces hide ugly appetites.

For twenty years, she and her father have stayed ahead of them, but for the last five years, their lives have been quiet. Grace has found a home, a life, and people she could even care about. She thinks the nightmare is finally over, but then a man shows up asking questions about a missing woman who’s somehow connected to her and her mother. He might also have answers about her mother’s death, if she’s willing to take a risk.

Before she can decide, she’s attacked by a Pretty Boy and barely escapes. If the Pretty Boys have found her, it’s time to run. Reluctantly, she prepares to abandon her life, possible answers, and the only friend she’s ever had.

Until they take her father.

Fleeing is no longer an option. To find him, she must face ancient secrets, creatures from legend, and an unbelievable truth that will shatter her world. But to save him, Grace has to do the hardest thing of all: stop running and start fighting.

Book One in the Grace Harper Series

Paperback: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound
Ebook: Amazon |

Understanding Show, Don't Tell (And Really Getting It)

Do you struggle with show, don't tell? You don't have to.

Award-winning author Janice Hardy takes you deep into one of the most frustrating aspects of writing--showing, and not telling. She'll help you understand what show, don't tell means, teach you how to spot told prose in your writing, and reveal why common advice on how to fix it doesn't always work.

With in-depth analysis, Understanding Show, Don't Tell (And Really Getting It) looks at what affects told prose and when telling is the right thing to do. It also explores aspects of writing that aren’t technically telling, but are connected to told prose and can make prose feel told, such as infodumps, description, and backstory.

Her easy-to-understand examples will show you clear before and after text and demonstrate how telling words change the prose. You'll learn how to find the right balance between description, narrative, and internalization for the strongest impact. These examples will also demonstrate why showing the wrong details can sound just as dull as telling.

This book will help you:

Understand when to tell and when to show
Spot common red flag words often found in told prose
Learn why one single rule doesn't apply to all books
Determine how much telling is acceptable in your writing
Fix stale or flat prose holding your writing back

Understanding Show, Don't Tell (And Really Getting It) is more than just advice on what to do and what not to do—it’s a down and dirty examination and analysis of how show, don’t tell works, so you can adapt the “rules” to whatever style or genre you’re writing. By the end of this book, you’ll have a solid understanding of show, don’t tell and the ability to use it without fear or frustration.

Paperback: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indie Bound | | Books-A-Million
Ebook: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo | Inktera | Chapters/!ndio

Understanding Conflict (And What It Really Means)

Book Two in the Skill Builders Series

Do you struggle with creating conflict in your novel? You don't have to.

Janice Hardy, award-winning author and founder of the popular writing site, Fiction University, takes you deep inside one of the most important aspects of storytelling--conflict. She'll help you understand what conflict really is, discuss the various aspects of conflict, and reveal why common advice on creating conflict doesn't always work.

With in-depth analysis and easy-to-understand examples, Understanding Conflict (And What It Really Means) looks at how to develop and create conflict in your novel. It also explores the things that affect conflict (such as tension), and the misconceptions that confuse and frustrate so many writers.

This book will help you:

Understand what conflict means and how to use it
Tell the difference between external and internal conflicts
See why conflict isn't a "one size fits all" solution
Determine the type of conflict your story needs
Fix lackluster scenes holding your writing back

Understanding Conflict (And What It Really Means) is more than just advice on what to do and what not to do—it’s a down and dirty road map to how conflict works, designed to help you create the right conflict for whatever genre you're writing. By the end of this book, you’ll have a solid understanding of what conflict means and the ability to use it to craft strong and compelling fiction.

Paperback: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indie Bound
Ebook: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo | Inktera | Chapters/!ndio

Plotting Your Novel: Ideas and Structure

Book One in the Foundations of Fiction Series

Do you have a great story idea? Do you want to turn it into a novel?

Janice Hardy takes you step-by-step through plotting and writing a novel with her book Plotting Your Novel: Ideas and Structure. She'll show you how to find and develop ideas, brainstorm stories from that first spark of inspiration to a complete story, develop the right characters, setting, plot, as well as teach you how to identify where your novel fits in the market, and if your idea has what it takes to be a series.

With clear and easy-to-understand examples, Plotting Your Novel: Ideas and Structure offers ten self-guided workshops with more than 100 different exercises to help you craft a solid novel. Each workshop builds upon the other to flesh out your idea as much or as little as you need to start writing (useful for both plotters and pantsers). You'll find multiple options that allow you to find the right process that works for you.

Learn how to:

Create compelling characters readers will love
Choose the right point of view for your story
Determine the conflicts that will drive your plot (and keep readers hooked!)
Find the best writing process for your writing style
Create a solid plot from the spark of your idea

Plotting Your Novel: Ideas and Structure also helps you develop the critical elements for submitting and selling your novel once it's finished. You'll find exercises on how to:

Craft your one-sentence pitch
Create your summary hook blurb (which makes writing query letters and cover copy easier)
Develop a solid working synopsis

Plotting Your Novel: Ideas and Structure is an easy-to-follow guide to planning and writing your novel, or fixing a novel that isn’t quite working.

For those who like a hands-on approach with easy-to-use worksheets, a companion guide, Plotting Your Novel Workbook is also available in paperback.

Paperback: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indie Bound | Google Books | Books-A-Million | Chapters/!ndio
Ebook: Amazon |

Plotting Your Novel Workbook

Book Three in the Foundations of Fiction Series

A Hands-On Workbook for Plotting Your Novel!

Janice Hardy guided writers through the often challenging process of planning a novel with her book, Plotting Your Novel: Ideas and Structure. At reader request, she created this workbook as a companion guide. Its larger workbook format is perfect for writers who enjoy brainstorming on paper and developing their novels in an organized and guided format.

No more searching for ideas jotted down on bits of paper
No more losing notes just when you need them most
Keep all your thoughts in one, easy-to-use workbook

The Plotting Your Novel Workbook contains more than 100 exercises for the novel-planning process.

Plus Bonus Questions! The Plotting Your Novel Workbook offers writers additional exercise questions not found in Plotting Your Novel: Ideas and Structure.

Work through the exercises of ten workshops that build upon each other to flesh out your idea as much or as little as you need to start writing. Find exercises on:

Creating Characters
Choosing Point of View
Determining the Conflict
Finding Your Process
Developing Your Plot

The Plotting Your Novel: Ideas and Structure Workbook was created to be used with Plotting Your Novel: Ideas and Structure. It contains only the exercises and assignments.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indie Bound | Books-A-Million

Revising Your Novel: First Draft to Finished Draft Omnibus

Get all three Fixing Your Revision Problems books in one omnibus!

This book contains Fixing Your Character & Point-of-View Problems, Fixing Your Plot & Story Structure Problems, and Fixing Your Setting & Description Problems--PLUS a BONUS workshop: How to Salvage Half-Finished Manuscripts.

A strong story has many parts, and when one breaks down, the whole book can fail. Make sure your story is the best it can be to keep your readers hooked.

Janice Hardy takes you step-by-step through the novel revision process, from character issues, to plot problems, to description issues. She'll show you how to analyze your draft, spot any problems or weak areas, and fix problems hurting your manuscript.

With clear and easy-to-understand examples, Revising Your Novel: First Draft to Finished Draft offers eleven self-guided workshops that target the common issues that make readers stop reading. It will help you:

Flesh out weak characters and build strong character arcs
Find the right amount of backstory to enhance, not bog down, your story
Create unpredictable plots that keep readers guessing
Develop compelling hooks to build tension in every scene
Determine the right way to include information without infodumping
Fix awkward stage direction and unclear character actions

Revising Your Novel: First Draft to Finished Draft starts every workshop with an analysis and offers multiple revision options in each area. You choose the options that best fit your writing process. Learn how to:

Develop a strong and effective revision plan
Analyze your manuscript to find its strengths and weaknesses
Spot common red flag words for problem areas (such as told prose)
Determine the best way to revise a scene, plot, character, or novel
Fix problems holding your novel back

Fixing Your Character & Point-of-View Problems (Book One of Revising Your Novel)

(This book is part of Revising Your Novel: First Draft to Finished Draft)

Fix the character and point-of-view problems holding your manuscript back!

Characters are at the heart of every story, and if readers don't like those characters, they won't keep reading. Make sure your characters keep those readers hooked.

Janice Hardy takes you step-by-step through revising character and character-related issues, such as two-dimensional characters, inconsistent points of view, too-much backstory, stale dialogue, didactic internalization, and lack of voice. She’ll show you how to analyze your draft, spot any problems or weak areas, and fix those problems.

With clear and easy-to-understand examples, Fixing Your Character & Point-of-View Problems offers five self-guided workshops that target the common issues that make readers stop reading. It will help you:

Flesh out weak characters and build strong character arcs
Find the right amount of backstory to enhance, not bog down, your story
Determine the best point(s) of view and how to use them to your advantage
Eliminate empty dialogue and rambling internalization
Develop character voices and craft unique, individual characters

Fixing Your Character & Point-of-View Problems starts every workshop with an analysis to pinpoint problem areas and offers multiple revision options in each area. You choose the options that best fit your writing process. Learn how to:

Develop a strong and effective revision plan
Analyze your manuscript to find its strengths and weaknesses
Spot common red-flag words for problem areas
Determine the best way to revise

Fixing Your Plot & Story Structure Problems (Book Two of Revising Your Novel)

(This book is part of Revising Your Novel: First Draft to Finished Draft)

Fix the plot and story structure problems holding your manuscript back!

A great plot will pique reader interest and make them want to know what happens next, but predictable plots can lose them after a few chapters. Make sure your plot keeps those readers hooked.

Janice Hardy takes you step-by-step through plot and story structure-related issues, such as wandering plots; a lack of scene structure; no goals, conflicts, or stakes; low tension; no hooks; and slow pacing. She’ll show you how to analyze your draft, spot any problems or weak areas, and fix those problems.

With clear and easy-to-understand examples, Fixing Your Plot & Story Structure Problems offers five self-guided workshops that target the common issues that make readers stop reading. It will help you:

Create unpredictable plots that keep readers guessing
Find the right beginning and setup for your story
Avoid the boggy, aimless middle
Develop compelling hooks to build tension in every scene
Craft strong goals, conflicts, and stakes to grab readers
Determine the best pacing and narrative drive for your story

Fixing Your Plot & Story Structure Problems starts every workshop with an analysis to pinpoint problem areas and offers multiple revision options in each area. You choose the options that best fit your writing process. Learn how to:

Develop a strong and effective revision plan
Analyze your manuscript to find its strengths and weaknesses
Spot common red-flag words for problem areas
Determine the best way to revise

Fixing Your Setting & Description Problems (Book Three of Revising Your Novel)

(This book is part of Revising Your Novel: First Draft to Finished Draft)

Fix the setting and description problems holding your manuscript back!

A strong and well-described setting can draw readers right into your story, but a flat and bare world will make them leave it. Make sure your descriptions keep those readers hooked.

Janice Hardy takes you step-by-step through setting and description-related issues, such as weak world building, heavy infodumping, told prose, awkward stage direction, inconsistent tone and mood, and overwritten descriptions. She’ll show you how to analyze your draft, spot any problems or weak areas, and fix those problems.

With clear and easy-to-understand examples, Fixing Your Setting & Description Problems offers five self-guided workshops that target the common issues that make readers stop reading. It will help you:

Choose the right details to bring your setting and world to life
Craft strong descriptions without overwriting
Determine the right way to include information without infodumping
Create compelling emotional layers that reflect the tone and mood of your scenes
Fix awkward stage direction and unclear character actions

Fixing Setting & Description Problems starts every workshop with an analysis to pinpoint problem areas and offers multiple revision options in each area. You choose the options that best fit your writing process. Learn how to:

Develop a strong and effective revision plan
Analyze your manuscript to find its strengths and weaknesses
Spot common red-flag words for problem areas
Determine the best way to revise

Pages

The Books