As writers, we know an eye-catching book cover is vital for captivating potential readers. Recently, I got to work with the talented team at Ebook Launch to update the cover of my portal fantasy Dreamlander. Today, I’m excited to share my experience and insights to help you find and collaborate with the right book cover […]
May 1, 2023 by 32 Comments BackstoryThe Backstory Drip (Backstory Techniques, Pt. 3 of 3)
What are the best backstory techniques you can use in your story? Over the past two weeks, we’ve been discussing some of the options writers have for sharing backstory in their stories. So far, we’ve talked about four specialized techniques, analyzing their respective advantages, disadvantages and best-use practices: Flashbacks Prologues Backstory-as-Story Alternating Timelines All four […]
April 24, 2023 by 22 Comments BackstoryBackstory-as-Story vs. Alternating Timelines (Backstory Techniques, Pt. 2 of 3)
Backstory techniques are crucial to the success of any type of story. Whether you share all of your characters’ pertinent backstories or none, backstory still informs the entire story. What, when, and how to share backstory are important decisions for any writer. Making the right choices will determine not just whether or not your backstory works, but possibly […]
April 17, 2023 by 60 Comments BackstoryPrologues vs. Flashbacks (Backstory Techniques, Pt. 1 of 3)
If you want to rev up a group of passionate writers, just bring up the topic of backstory. As much as we love our stories, we often love our backstories even more. If plot offers a what and a how, backstory is often the why. It can provide both context and subtext, bringing depth, understanding, and […]
April 10, 2023 by 34 Comments CharactersHave You Chosen the Right POV Character for Your Story?
Note: After all the excitement of launching my new book Writing Archetypal Character Arcs last month, I’m giving myself a little break this week from the usual post and podcast. Instead, I am sharing a fast tip that I hope you will enjoy and find useful! I will be back next week with a brand new […]
April 3, 2023 by 2 Comments UncategorizedWriting Archetypal Character Arcs Launch Day Winner Announced!
First, I want to take a moment to thank you all for your support and enthusiasm for my new book Writing Archetypal Character Arcs. Thank you for making the launch a success! It was one of the best pre-launches and launches I’ve ever had, and I am so grateful to all of you for making […]
March 30, 2023 by 37 Comments UncategorizedLaunch Day for Writing Archetypal Character Arcs (Win a Freewrite!)
Welcome to Launch Day! Today, at long last, I get to officially share my newest book on the craft of writing and storytelling. For me personally, Writing Archetypal Character Arcs: The Hero’s Journey and Beyond has been quite literally an archetypal journey. I am so excited to finally and officially share it with all of […]
March 27, 2023 by 30 Comments CharactersHow Archetypes Changed My Life and My Writing
Story and life are inextricably linked. To write better stories, we study life. And to live better lives, we study stories. There are many obvious reasons why this is so. Stories, after all, are meant to be relatively accurate reflections of life. However, the more I study story theory, the deeper the rabbit hole seems […]
March 20, 2023 by 48 Comments PodcastHere Are Two Ways to Write Organic Themes
Organic themes are symbiotic with their stories’ plots. This is because when everything is working well in a story, plot and theme are two halves of a whole, each one “proving” the other. When plot and theme are not working together, that’s a sure sign your story is in trouble. Theme can be a tricky […]
March 13, 2023 by 48 Comments How to Become a WriterGenre Tips: How to Write Horror
Note From KMW: I’ve been delighted to hear that so many of you have enjoyed the “Genre Tips” we’ve been exploring these past five weeks. Today, I’m happy to share a surprise post to finish off the series! Welcome to “How to Write Horror.” As you may remember, I crafted the series around the five […]
