When you're the writer of a manuscript, everything about the story makes sense to you. And why wouldn't it? You're the one who has spent hours writing your way through countless drafts. The trouble with being the person who's worked on the story so intensely means it can be hard for you to notice when …
Continue reading Unintentional Story Issues, And How To Fix Them
By the time you're at the tail-end of the writing process, you are so sick of your words you'll do anything to not read them again. This usually happens right around the time you have to read them, though, because you're getting your MS ready to query or publish. But instead of begrudgingly wading through …
Is there anything as good as reading a story and coming across a plot twist so great it completely blows you away? When done right, a plot twist will turn a tale on its head, get readers turning pages, and talking about your work to anyone who'll listen. If that sounds like something you want in …
Concentration is hard to come by at the best of times, but as we're currently experiencing the worst of times, it's downright rare. Time to write is just as scarce some days, with new Coronavirus world responsibilities taking priority. When you do get the chance to write, you might find that diving straight into work …
2020 has become the strangest year. In January we were all ready to kick off a new decade and make the next 10 years better than the last. By March, we were all in lockdown, where it felt like the month lasted 10 years. Times changed quickly, and although we're now home with more time …
Continue reading 3 Signs You Need A Break, And Why I’m Changing My Blog Schedule
If you've entrenched yourself in the writing world, you've no doubt heard what doesn't make for a good book opening. These tips range from ditching prologues to the ultimate pressure inducing advice: the opening sentence/paragraph/page must automatically engage the reader or they won't read on. While this advice is enough to make you consider taking …
Many of us will kick off April 2020 in the comfort of our own homes. This isn't a collective vacation, it's the new normal as the world adjusts to coronavirus. For some writers, this has been their way of life for years. For others, the initial burst of enthusiasm for working in their PJ's, extra …
So, my book has been out for a month now. It's the first and only book I've ever published, so I figured that made me perfectly qualified to give out advice… just kidding. I am in no way at all a book publisher extraordinaire after one release. I doubt I'd be one after twenty, but …
Continue reading 5 Lessons Learned After Releasing My First Book
Raise your hand if you've been having trouble concentrating this last week. With Coronavirus sweeping the world, it's been hard to think about anything other than keeping your #SocialDistance and what you will do now it's impossible to find toilet paper. If you're lucky enough to be able to work from home, you're also facing …
Continue reading How To Stay Creative When The World Is On Fire
