How to Be a Better Storyteller (A Margot Robbie Master Class)March 26, 2026When Margot Robbie held the SmartLess podcast hosts in the palm of her hand during a recent interview as she…
Writers: Dissect Your DNFsFebruary 5, 2026It’s tempting, with a DNF, to simply close the book and move along to the next one in your TBR…
Can AI Edit Your Book?August 14, 2025If you’d like to receive my blog in your in-box each week, click here. Last week my husband sent me this…
Don’t Be Afraid to Go BigAugust 7, 2025Don’t be afraid to try things–even things that may seem far, far out of the box. You’re not always writing…
Using Formula without Being FormulaicJune 26, 2025Most creatives don’t set out to regurgitate remade versions of stories that have been told before. We want to boldly…
How to Create Tension without Overt ConflictNovember 21, 2024If you’d like to receive my blog in your in-box each week, click here. I have a confession to make: I…
Analysis: How Storytelling Makes the StoryAugust 1, 2024If you’d like to receive my blog in your in-box each week, click here. My roommate when I lived in New…
Character Stakes: The Key to Making Readers CareApril 25, 2024Stakes are crucial to story, one of the central legs of the holy trinity of character plot and stakes, because…
How Backstory Creates Story, Part 2: Building ForwardApril 11, 2024You can “build forward” in your writing to create fully integrated characters and stories: begin with what you already have…
How Backstory Creates Story, Part 1: Mining BackwardMarch 28, 2024Both Succession’s creators and the uniformly brilliant actors who portray the Roys and their vicious little circle of cronies take…
