Deepen Character Goal and Motivation: The Longing and the Lack
Figuring out why your characters do what they do can be some of the hardest work of writing, and a…
Writing craft
Fixing Flat Characters and Flat Stories
It’s tempting to think in terms of good or bad, clear-cut categorizations and blanket judgments; it’s tidy and orderly and…
Cohesion: The Key to Powerful Story
A key issue I often see in stories that aren’t quite working as well as they could is that no…
How to Cook Up Original Stories
I’ve never really developed cooking and baking as significant hobbies, despite my enjoyment of these crafts, because I’m mediocre at…
Decoding Author Voice
And of all the many elements of craft authors must master, voice is the one I think can be the…
Leave Room for the Happy Accidents
If you’d like to receive my blog in your in-box each week, click here. My husband and I are different types…
Don’t Be Afraid to Go Big
Don’t be afraid to try things–even things that may seem far, far out of the box. You’re not always writing…
How Do You Create Value in a Newsletter?
Advice to authors to create a newsletter is ubiquitous, and the reasons are generally solid. It’s a direct line of…
Revealing Other Characters’ Inner Life
Stories aren’t primarily about the facts; they’re about the feelings—not just your characters’ emotions, but all of their inner life:…
Using Formula without Being Formulaic
Most creatives don’t set out to regurgitate remade versions of stories that have been told before. We want to boldly…