If you’re here because you feel your story isn’t working, you’re not alone. Most writers feel that way about most of the stories they write. The good news is you can probably salvage your current story by troubleshooting a few key areas. One way to learn how to accomplish this is to learn what didn’t work […]
July 26, 2021 by 69 Comments Editing Your NovelShould You Edit As You Go?
Should you edit as you go? This is a question just about every writer asks at one point or another. Part of the reason for the prevalence of the question is that the question is in fact complex and contextual. In short, the answer to “should you edit as you go?” isn’t always a simple […]
April 27, 2020 by 68 Comments Writing Life15 Productive Tasks You Can Still Do Even When You Don’t Feel Like Writing
Don’t feel like writing right now? Or maybe you don’t have the time? Or maybe you’re just blocked as all get out at the moment? Whatever the case, there’s no reason you can’t still use what time and motivation you do have to feel productive about your writing—because “writing” is really about a whole lot […]
April 15, 2019 by 95 Comments Outlining Your NovelHow to Use Your Outline When Writing Your First Draft
Outlining your novel is one thing. But then, whether you prefer to outline with minimalism, maximalism, or hindsight (aka, in revisions), a surprisingly easy stumbling block can be that of figuring out how to use your outline in the first draft. Recently, I received an email from Matt Powers, which made me realize that, out […]
January 21, 2019 by 78 Comments Writing LifeHow to Create the Perfect Writing Process for You
Remember the good ol’ days when your idea of a “writing process” was as simple as 1, 2, 3? 1. Sit down. 2. Put your hands to the keyboard. 3. Write. For most writers, that quaint little take on the writing process died on the day they stalled out on #2, with hands poised receptively […]
September 3, 2018 by 77 Comments Writing LifeDo You Have Sloppy Writing Habits? (And 4 Things to Do About It)
The question I want to ask today is whether sloppy writing habits are a deterrent to success, a natural and unavoidable part of the creative process, both, or neither. I’ve never met the writer (myself included) who didn’t suffer from sloppy writing habits. These habits fall into a number of categories—everything from sloppy handwriting to […]
October 30, 2017 by 45 Comments Writer's HelpThe Great Novel-Writing Checklist (Just in Time for NaNoWriMo!)
I adore lists. They bring order to the chaos of my brain and allow me to rest in the knowledge that even if I don’t remember everything I have to do, the list remembers [spoken in an epic Jeremy Irons bass]. This is why today I’m going to share you with you my ultimate novel-writing checklist—and […]
October 6, 2017 by 46 Comments Outlining Your NovelPreparing for NaNoWriMo: Your Guide to Outlining Success
Forget turkeys and football. NaNoWriMo—or National Novel Writing Month—has turned November into “da Writing Month.” But as so many authors have learned over the years, the best way to be successful in November is to start preparing for NaNoWriMo in October (aka Preptober). If you’re going to have a decent shot at writing 50k good words […]
July 10, 2017 by 52 Comments Plotting Your NovelFree Scrivener Template: How to Structure Your Story
Love Scrivener? Me too. This insanely comprehensive word processor, designed to help authors organize all their writing notes and files in one place, is arguably the single best digital tool for writers ever created. These days, I use it exclusively for my fiction (buh-bye, Word), and it is constantly helping me refine my approach to […]
June 30, 2017 by 33 Comments Point of View6 Questions to Help You Choose the Right POV
Stories are defined by their narrators. Narrating characters implicitly tell us whose story this is. More than that, they determine which facets of plot and theme will be emphasized. How do they do this? By also determining which elements will be eliminated or sidelined. In short, figuring out how to choose the right POV for your […]
