Quick Answer Show don’t tell means using action, dialogue, and sensory detail instead of stating emotions directly — here are three techniques. (Updated May 2026.) What does it mean when you get feedback on your writing or advice to “show don’t tell”? I get this question a lot but didn’t have a clear answer...
Quick Answer Atticus ($147) is the best Vellum alternative for Windows users; here’s how they compare in 2026. (Updated May 2026.) Updated May 2026. For years authors have been hoping for something that makes book formatting easier. Vellum is a great solution for Mac users but there’s never been anything comparable to it for PC
Twists make readers react. Sometimes, a great plot twist makes your jaw hit the floor, or make you want to turn back to page one and start the book all over again, this time with a whole new perspective. Learning how to write twists will help you entertain your readers and sell your stories, especially
Quick Answer A book blurb is 150–200 words that hook, raise stakes, and end on a question — here’s the formula. (Updated May 2026.) A few years ago I wrote about how to craft a blurb that converts… but today I need to make a confession: I still suck at blurbs. Sometimes I think I
Quick Answer The three books every writer should own: On Writing by Stephen King, Save the Cat by Blake Snyder, and Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott. (Updated May 2026.) When I decided I wanted to be a writer, I got my hands on everything I could about plotting, prose, story and character development and
A couple summers ago I decided to make a video series for teens who wanted to write novels. It was a free program and we had over a thousand students. But I realized, actually, it’s probably my best summary of all my writing advice and ideas, because I *tried* to keep things simple and organized.
You’d think writing a book about your life would be easy. You’re just sharing the stories of your personal experiences, after all. This isn’t an epic fantasy novel where you’re inventing whole new worlds to write about. Writing a memoir is just about remembering what happened, and then writing it down. Easy, right? Wrong. As
This is a long article on author marketing, but if you just want a quick PR boost or author marketing service, scroll to the bottom and click “Launch My Book!”…A common question I get in my private facebook group goes like this: “my book is published but I have zero sales and no visibility, and I
Two things: First, I’m involved in an anthology called “write and grow rich.” I accepted because: A) I wanted to practice a story-based approach to sharing knowledge, so I shared a story I’ve never told before and focused on making it gripping. B) Think and Grow Rich is hugely influential, but few people appreciate the...
I’m editing a non-fiction book today and making notes on what went wrong. Unfortunately, some of the things missing are things I also don’t do in my own non-fiction books, so here’s a short list. #1 – Make it a community effort The easy way to publish a bestseller is to include stories by other
The most common question I get asked is how to sign a book publishing deal with a publisher. I’m talking about a good publisher, too, not one of those fly by night publishers who accept anything. Those are easy to find. In fact, they’ll usually find you and offer the world on a platter. Don’t
This week I’m launching my new program, Guerrilla Publishing – which I’ve built over the last year while travelling full-time. I made a free “Bookselling Bootcamp” challenge while staying at the 5 star Regent Hotel Montenegro (I wanted to be comfortable going into Nanowrimo, and I also did a 2-week sugar...
