Quick Answer A static character stays the same throughout a story; a dynamic character changes. Both serve a purpose — here’s when to use each. (Updated May 2026.) 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
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,
Quick Answer Scrivener for drafting, Vellum or Atticus for formatting, ProWritingAid for editing, Sudowrite or Claude for AI help. Pick one tool per job; stop shopping for the perfect app and finish the book. (Updated May 2026.) I have been buying, testing, abandoning and re-buying writing software for over fifteen years. I have written and
Quick Answer 644+ Midjourney prompts by category. Structure: [Subject] + [Style] + [Lighting] + [Mood] + [Parameters]. 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...
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
Quick Answer The best AI writing tools in 2026 are Sudowrite (fiction), Claude (thinking partner), and Jasper (marketing copy). (Updated May 2026.) Updated May 2026. In 1953, Roald Dahl wrote a short story about an AI Writing tool called The Great Automatic Grammatizator. It used to be the stuff of impossible fiction, but in AI
I don’t usually do these but this is going to be a big year of changes, for everybody in all industries. Here are some things I’ve talked about recently that will definitely change everything in 2023. If you’re a writer (or hope to be), you should be paying attention… things may be much easier and
Social media marketing for authors can be tricky, but I acquired a cool tool to make design templates for authors earlier this year and promptly never spoke about it again… so here it is, with a coupon code for free lifetime access. So wait, what is this exactly? Graaphics.co is a simple and light tool
Quick Answer 200+ original haiku poems organized by theme — love, nature, life, seasons, and more — in the classic 5-7-5 syllable form. (Updated May 2026.) Updated May 2026. What is a haiku? (history details & famous examples) A haiku is a type of poem that originated in Japan. It is composed of three lines
What does swoon mean? Swoon (verb) means to become overwhelmed by emotion — usually love or admiration — to the point of feeling faint. Originally it referred to literally fainting (Old English geswogen = unconscious). In modern romantic context it means “to be powerfully struck by attraction or beauty.” A poem that...
There’s always been a ton of demand for children’s book publishing, because it seems easier to “write” a children’s book and then hire and artist. But it’s expensive, and formatting children’s books is a pain. I’ve been toying with the idea of doing a case study, now that GPT3 is pretty good and...
