One of the biggest issues I see when editing manuscripts is the story starts out slow. So many authors struggle with where to start their story, and most people need to cut pages in the manuscript’s beginning during their edits. So how do you know where to start for the Read more
The act of writing is a solo job, but being a writer is not a solo career. We can’t do it alone, and if you are trying to, you’re going to burn out. It’s important to get help where and when you can. I make it a point to write Read more
There is a misconception amongst some writers that a summary of your book for a query letter is like writing a back of the book blurb. However, while there are some similarities, these summaries cannot be swapped one for another. They have different purposes and a different way of presenting Read more
Lately, I’ve been focusing my studies on words. Not story. Words. Specifically, how to put them together to write a pleasing sentence. Now, I am by no means a literary writer. My prose is not elevated, but there is something to be said about knowing how to write a sentence Read more
Time for another Character Under A Microscope post; this time we are focusing on fear responses. Even though most people don’t face life threatening situations every day, there are still plenty of things that happen to cause fear. In your story, your protagonist should be thrown into several situations that Read more
A while ago I wrote about the three aspects of an engaging character, and one of those was making the person proactive. You don’t have to be in the writing world long before someone gives you the advice: give your protagonist agency. Readers want someone who will actively do something Read more
One of the common mistakes I see new writers struggle with is recapping events in their stories. I’m not talking about recapping previous books in a series before starting the new novel (that’s a whole different topic). This is specifically summarizing events that happen off the page or that the Read more
One of the biggest struggles I see new writers (and sometimes experienced writers) have is using third person POV storytelling well. There are two POVs you can use in third person: Omniscient or Limited. The difference between the two is subtle yet very important to understand. If you do either Read more
As writers, we often have too many things pulling us in too many directions, and it’s easy to let some things slide to the back. One of those things often forgotten is reading, but it’s essential to improving as an author. If you never read, you can’t be a good Read more
Today, I want to keep it short and simple. As writers, we need to convey a lot with just text, and part of that struggle is finding ways to convey specificity instead of vagueness. Let’s look at three easy tips that will strengthen your writing and enhance your story. 1. Read more