Has this ever happened to you? You’re editing your manuscript, but everything– literally everything– reads awful. It’s all boring, it’s all confusing, it’s all poorly written. It didn’t feel like that yesterday, but today, it’s all garbage. I’m here to tell you that the problem isn’t your writing: the problem is exhaustion. How to make…
Category: Writing Fundamentals
The Self-Editing Checklist: What you can fix yourself
I finished my manuscript! Now, that is a wonderful feeling, and one I hope to replicate many times in the future. But, it’s not all fun and games, yet. My friend is a book coach, and after reading over my story, she informed me there was still a lot of work to be done. She…
How to pick a writers conference
It’s that season again! A wide majority of writers conferences are scheduled for late spring or through the summer, so if you have been thinking about attending one, it’s time to start making decisions. But there are so many choices! How do you pick a writers conference? First, think of your goals. Why do you…
Unlocking Creativity: The Brainspace Issue
May this blog not be a set of instructions for you, but permission: permission to be human. Permission to fail. To succeed in the wrong place at the wrong time. Permission to figure it all out along the way.
Unlocking Creativity: Is Handwriting Better?
There was a time when I couldn’t write on a computer at all. I could get down endless thoughts with pen and paper—even if trying to read it later was like deciphering an ancient script. My handwriting is terrible. But if I were to sit down at a computer and try to type out what…
Believable Dialogue: How to Craft Natural and Authentic Conversations
No one likes reading stilted, contrived dialogue. We want to feel like the characters are unscripted—genuine. But it’s quite the trick to write believable dialogue like that while we are literally writing the script. So, how do you do it? Every character and situation uniquely combine and necessitate their own rules for this sort of…
How to Write a Drool-Worthy Romantic Interest
Tis the season for a cozy romance! But no matter if you’re writing the next Hallmark-worthy novel or a summer release YA fantasy, there are some basic (but essential) rules you need to follow if you want to have me drooling with the MC over that romantic interest! Using the flaws Everyone tells you to…
Which of the Three Types of Writers Are You?
Plotter, pantser, and plantser. Maybe you’ve heard of these types of writers before, but do you know which one you are? Let’s take a look and find out.
How to write a great villain everyone loves to hate
Every story needs a relatable villain we believe. If you’re wondering how to write a great villain that everyone will love to hate, then read on, friend!
How Great Books Treat the Setting as a Character
Read just about any lasting masterpiece, and you will see that authors treat the setting as a character. Like any fully developed, three-dimensional fictional person they write, they give the setting certain traits. They give it backstory, personality, even dynamic power over the outcome of the story. Most of us understand that the “setting” consists…