Quick Answer Satisfying fiction needs a clear main plot, at least one subplot that mirrors or contrasts the theme, and an ending that feels earned. I’ve put a lot of effort into plot outlines and templates for writing fiction, but the deeper stuff is sometimes trickier to convey. After all, you can have a brilliant
As seen on Reddit, someone brought up this quote from an old Guardian article. I agree in spirit, but not practice, which is interesting enough to reflect on briefly. Here’s the quote: Those who insist that the job of the writer is simply, only, to write are deluding themselves. Editors whose advice is to get
I’ve been in a weird place creatively for several years. Most creatives need to juggle their passion projects from their paying projects: those they do for love and enjoyment, and those they do to pay the bills. Often, the more they hate the work, the more they feel they need to charge. So there’s a
Creating characters that readers care about is the essence of storytelling. When readers invest emotionally in your characters, they become deeply involved in the journey, rooting for them, mourning their losses, and celebrating their victories. Here’s how to make your characters resonate with readers: 1. Make Them Relatable: 2. Give Them...
This article was originally, mostly, about copyright infringement… but since then, the topic blew up on Twitter as a group of forward thinking YA authors attempted to pull off an NFT-based community writing project and got shredded by activists – cancelling the project in just 5 hours. You can read all about that here (and
I saw a post online recently from a 23-year old author who was already worried that they were somehow “too late” to publish or get a publishing deal. I also received a lovely email from a 73-year old who is finally seeing some progress and success. I wanted to share it with you, hence this
Today on Reddit I saw a post from a young author who felt unsupported. He was seeking someone to edit his book for free, or give feedback or commentary. I’m sharing my response because I truly sympathize: writing can be hard and isolating. And getting real feedback from a developmental editor is expensive. I charge $5K+ for editing and...
I can tell you exactly how to write books that matter, but first we need to agree on some basic tenets, regarding the purpose of writing. Otherwise, you may resist some of the strategies I’m about to share, due to things you’ve been told, and things you believe. You’ll feel them when they come up,
Quick Answer The best writing coaches charge $50–$300/hour — but most writers don’t need one; a developmental editor is usually a better investment. I started this article ages ago but only recently decided to finish it: in the past I’ve been skeptical of writing coaches in general, and even made an hour long rant in
I started this series of videos from a quick list of 7 book cover design tips for indie authors. That’s a 40 minute video you can watch if you want. But I lost my list and tried listening, and only found six. 1. title font = genre. 2. colors = mood 3. setting = place
I haven’t talked specifically about cover design in awhile, and I usually ignore those raging Facebook diatribes where everybody has loud opinions and gives bad advice, but I got involved in one tonight that is important enough to share. The reason authors get their covers wrong is not just an educational gap. They’ve never designed...
People are sometimes confused about the phrase “writing to market”. On the one hand, it sounds like tropes and elements, that are unique to each genre. That’s half of it. Tropes should be sustained and elevated, same same but different: it’s about meeting reader expectations and requirements – this is what they wanted...
