After I changed your thinking about plot last week by stating it is NOT story structure, I want to discuss how to merge the two. Plot isn’t like story structures where you know basically where things should happen, like the inciting incident happens around the 10% mark of the book. Read more…
Most people agree that stories are created with three key elements: character, setting, and plot. While there are endless resources on character and setting (worldbuilding), I’ve found that most sources skim over plot. I know, you’re probably saying, “But you did a whole bunch of posts on plot with the Read more…
Every author has a support system full of professional and personal connections. When first starting out, writers often feel they have enough support with their friends and family and maybe their editor or agent. Then they finish their first book and feel underwhelmed. The book is out there, but it’s Read more…
Today I want to discuss everyone’s favorite character in any story—the villain! You can have the most amazing hero, but, if your villain isn’t just as amazing, your story will fall flat. A villain provides the needed conflict and tension to make sure the hero’s story is engaging. Villain vs Read more…
I realized that I’ve done posts on self-editing and starting your own editing business, but I haven’t talked about finding a good editor. It doesn’t matter how amazing you are at grammar and writing stories, you MUST get an editor if you plan to publish. If you do traditional publishing, Read more…
I think one of the mistakes some writers make is that they listen to too much advice. There is so much out there (and I’m only adding more), but I think all the advice is people just saying the same things in different ways, hoping that one of the methods Read more…
Has anyone ever asked for your story’s premise? Essentially, they’re asking what your book’s about. Many people use premise as a synonym for logline, but I see them as separate tools. While they are similar, a premise and a logline have two very different purposes. Today, we’re going to explore Read more…
We are back again for another entry in the Character Under A Microscope series where we dig into the small details of character development. Today, I want to talk about character tags. These are distinguishing details about characters that make them memorable. We will first look at why character tags Read more…
Last week we discussed writing query letters, and now I want to turn our attention to submitting them. There are several strategies for how to query agents, but I’ve found one method seems to be favored about the rest. While you are welcome to submit letters one at a time Read more…
A query letter is such a fickle thing. There is no perfect formula you can use to guarantee you get a literary agent’s attention, but there are best practices you can follow to give your manuscript the best chance. I’ve done a lot of research on how to write a Read more…