Let me ask you a question: If I ask you to identify your writing weaknesses for me, how does that make you feel about your writing right now? If you’re in one of those rarefied states of supreme satisfaction, I congratulate you. But after two decades of pursuing my own writing and hearing from countless […]
August 24, 2026 by 20 Comments CharactersGet Rid of On-the-Nose Dialogue: 3 Ways to Write Dialogue With Subtext
The qualities that most set apart “okay” writers from great writers are subtlety and subtext. This is true in every area of storytelling, from narrative to plotting to character development. But the lack of subtlety and subtext is perhaps nowhere more obvious than in dialogue. I’m talking, of course, about on-the-nose dialogue. On-the-nose dialogue is dialogue […]
August 17, 2026 by Leave a Comment UncategorizedFree Online Writing Conference for Writers: Join Me at the 2026 WorldShift Summit
In the mood for a free online writing conference this week? I’d love to recommend one I’m excited to be part of! The WorldShift Summit for Speculative Fiction Writers officially begins today, and I’m delighted to be returning as one of this year’s featured speakers. After participating in the inaugural conference last year, I can […]
August 10, 2026 by 11 Comments PodcastHow to Pitch Your Novel: The Difference Between Your Story’s Hook and Heart
Quick! You’ve got less than a minute to convince me your story is worth my time. What do you tell me? You’ve got to pique my curiosity with mystery and potential, while still conveying the bulk of the plot, theme, and general tone. “No problem!” you say. But when you sit down to actually figure […]
August 3, 2026 by 13 Comments CharactersThe Lie the Character Believes: A Deeper Look at Consciousness and Character Arc
For years, in my book Creating Character Arcs and elsewhere, I’ve taught the Lie the Character Believes as the central premise of character arc. The Lie the Character Believes is the limited perspective that prevents characters from embracing the thematic Truth until the events of the story force them to grow. In a Positive Change […]
July 27, 2026 by 24 Comments UncategorizedWhy Honesty Makes Flawed Characters More Likable
A flawed character becomes likable when audiences trust the character’s honesty more than they judge the character’s mistakes. Memorable characters come in many shades—everything from Heathcliff’s murderous manipulation to Steve Rogers’s aw-shucks idealism. Sometimes, the not-so-likable characters end up being all the more interesting and enduring for their inner darkness. But, generally speaking, most authors […]
July 20, 2026 by 22 Comments Novel EndingsThe Psychology of Story Endings (+5 Tips to Write a Truly Satisfying Ending)
What is a story? One easy answer is that it is a narrative composed of a beginning, middle, and ending. Today, we’re talking about how to write satisfying endings, but allow me a quick rabbit trail: A while back, someone asked me to write a post about why the Second Act was even a thing. […]
July 13, 2026 by 21 Comments Point of ViewWhy Multiple POVs Can Make Readers Love Your Characters More
Multiple POVs—should you use them or should you not? That’s a question with huge implications for your story. It will influence everything from structure to pacing to character arcs. Most importantly, it will have a huge influence on your readers’ experience of the story—for better or worse. More genre books than not use multiple POVs to […]
July 6, 2026 by 24 Comments How to Become a WriterWhy We Need Heroic Stories: The Courage We Borrow From Fiction
A hill I will die on: we need heroic stories. That may seem super obvious. After all, the word “hero” has become all but synonymous with “protagonist.” They are not, however, the same thing. A protagonist is the structural driver of the plot (just as the antagonist is the structural obstacle to that driving momentum). […]
June 29, 2026 by 17 Comments Writing LifeThe Four Seasons of Writing: How Authors Can Build a Burnout-Free Writing Routine
Note From KMW: Over the years, I’ve learned there is a difference between cultivating discipline as a writer and forcing it. Like many writers (especially those of us who came of age during the early years of the indie boom), I spent much of my career believing success required constant hustle. Push harder. Write faster. […]
