There are so many times during the course of writing a novel that we can spiral into self-doubt, lose the plot so-to-speak, and find ourselves with…
Fiction writers make things up. It’s our job, especially if we write science fiction, fantasy, or any type of speculative work. It’s also our job to…
I recently opened up an old project and found myself writing new scenes from the story’s distant past. When I drafted a new first chapter that…
I have a friend whose debut novel has been on the NYT’s bestseller list for over a year. Her second book has found its place there…
Backstory helps your characters wind their way deep into readers’ hearts. However, done poorly it can make readers tune out. It’s kind of like salt: either…
When you’ve been loyal to one genre, your fan-base expects a certain story type. However, life has a way of evolving and changing who we are…
It’s that time… We all need a little inspiration sometimes, so on the first Monday of every month, we’ll post a series of writing prompts intended…
This is a continuation of my previous post, Writing a Series -Mapping it Out. Thinking about writing a series? To avoid plot holes, missing narratives, and…
Writing the end of your book can feel super intimidating. After all, it colors readers’ perception of every painstakingly-edited page that came before it. It may…
When you know your characters inside and out, you’ll be able to authentically portray them to your readers. When I’m starting a new project, I think…