I’ve started this post multiple times of the years but decided to put everything together in one place, so you can get help fast. So real quick: Why choosing a keyword-rich book title is a necessary evil for self-published writers When you publish a book on Amazon or any other online ebook store marketplace, people
“To thine own self be true.” It’s a line from Shakespeare, but it’s sage advice that has stood the test of time. In today’s frenetic world, with its many demands and distractions, it’s easy to lose sight of our true selves and, with that, our life’s purpose. Let’s embark on a journey of self-discovery, led
Have you ever felt like you’ve been walking through a maze, only to find out that you’ve been tracing the wrong path all along? Or like you’ve been knocking on a door, waiting for it to open, only to realize you’ve been standing at the back entrance? This is exactly how it feels when you’re
I’ve been playing around with fantasy art for a few months and have gotten some great images, so I’ve decided to share them here. These are printable coloring book pages, but they aren’t the simple, clean lines you might be used to. This is high-quality stuff: stuff that looks cool and gorgeous. Stuff you may
There are two important things I want to cover in this article: the first, is how to get your book finished and make sure you have a strong conclusion and plot resolution. The second is how to resolve a plot with multiple main characters and give each of them a satisfying character arc. To do this, I’m going
Traditionally, if you want strong interesting characters, you might use a worksheet or checklist to flesh out their personality. Down below I’ve added a list of 140 personality traits, but they’re a bit simple. So I’d like to suggest something else. AI writing tools like GPT3 are pretty good at brainstorming ideas with the...
As a quick definition, static characters remain unchanged through the course of a story, and dynamic characters grow and change. Most book novels are about a series of crises that force the protagonist to change – the protagonist is the character who changes the most. People also ask about how to create well-rounded characters with
I’ve reviewed a ton of book formatting software, and while I still do most of my writing in MS Word, formatting a word document can get tricky, even if you know what you’re doing. The best formatting software is Vellum, but it’s a Mac-only formatting software so I never really got into it. Until, finally,
When asked about the best writing apps or software, I used to say, “Just use whatever you have and are comfortable with.” But recently I’ve been focused on upping my productivity and wordcount, so I’m testing everything to see if anything helps. Here’s a quick review of some of the things I think are cool,
Update! Midjourney Version 5 just came out, and it’s more photographic and less artistic. Scroll all the way down for new prompts, V5 examples and a “magic secret word” prompt that unlocks stunning results. What are the best text-to-image prompt keywords for unique types of art and photographic styles? For best AI art results?...
I’ve had this discussion a million ways over the years, but it became relevant again thanks to this video about “being original” on Terrible Writing Advice: a youtube channel with tongue-in-cheek sarcasm about common writing mistakes you want to avoid. But this one hit a nerve. I saw one author fret recently, “If...
5 years ago I wrote a post about “starting over with nothing at 32.” Since for some reason it’s still getting traffic, I thought I better post an updated version. Now I’m 37. And I still have nothing. No house, no car, I’m not even renting an apartment right now – just AirBNBs. Only now
