Skip to content

K.M. Allan

Writing Advice From A YA Author Powered By Chocolate And Green Tea

  • Home
  • Blackbirch
    • Blackbirch: The Beginning
    • Blackbirch: The Dark Half
    • Blackbirch: The Ritual
  • Blogs
  • Writing Checklists
  • About
  • Contact

Tag: tips

Lessons Learned From 5 Years Of Blogging

On July 8, 2022 By K.M. Allan67 Comments

I recently received a notification from WordPress congratulating me on the anniversary of my blog. As of June, it’s been around for 5 years! That might be a long time to some, or a short time depending on how you measure things, but in either case, it’s enough to learn a lesson or two, so …

Continue reading Lessons Learned From 5 Years Of Blogging

Taking Stock: Resetting To Hit Your Writing Goals

On December 17, 2021December 17, 2021 By K.M. Allan17 Comments

Just like handover notes will help when coming back to a project after time away, taking stock as you move from one year to the next is a great habit to get into. It also helps shift you into the right head and physical space to achieve your writing goals, with a reset if you're …

Continue reading Taking Stock: Resetting To Hit Your Writing Goals

Character Motivation: Tips And Tricks

On July 9, 2021July 9, 2021 By K.M. Allan23 Comments

When it comes to crafting your characters, one important thing to include is motivation. It’s not just because motivation will get the story moving forward, but because it will also help you create well-rounded characters readers will relate to and become invested in. If that sounds like something you want to include in your book, …

Continue reading Character Motivation: Tips And Tricks

Writing Tips For Action Scenes

On June 25, 2021June 25, 2021 By K.M. Allan12 Comments

While you might not be a writer of action-based books, chances are if there’s any type of conflict in your novel, you may have to write an action scene. I did, after starting my YA series, Blackbirch. For a book about teens with magickal abilities, there ended up being a few scenes that required me …

Continue reading Writing Tips For Action Scenes

Motivational Tricks To Keep You Working On Your Manuscript

On April 23, 2021 By K.M. Allan31 Comments

When you set out to write a novel, you quickly learn that it takes a lot of drafts. There’s the first draft, which is laying down the story. The second works out what the story is missing, and every draft after is refining until it becomes the finished book. How many drafts that takes depends …

Continue reading Motivational Tricks To Keep You Working On Your Manuscript

5 Ways To Avoid Info-Dumping

On February 19, 2021 By K.M. Allan29 Comments

When you become a writer, one of the "rules" you're advised to learn is to avoid info-dumping. If you haven't heard of it before, it's when the writer bombards the reader with everything they think they should know—all at once. While you might think there's no way you do that, info-dumping is an easy trap …

Continue reading 5 Ways To Avoid Info-Dumping

The Benefits Of A Whiteboard To-Do List

On February 5, 2021 By K.M. Allan19 Comments

If you’ve been following my blog for any length of time in the last four years, you’ll know I’m a fan of writing routines, being organized, and to-do lists! While I regularly assess and change my writing routine depending on how my life is going, if I find something that helps with the routine, I’ll …

Continue reading The Benefits Of A Whiteboard To-Do List

Point Of View Errors! How To Spot And Fix Them

On December 11, 2020 By K.M. Allan16 Comments

Ah, point of view (POV), a writing essential to include in your book but something that you can get so easily wrong. It doesn't take much to slip from the view of the character who is telling your story, and you might not even notice you've done it. That's where the following advice comes in …

Continue reading Point Of View Errors! How To Spot And Fix Them

7 Tips For Creating Awesome Characters

On November 27, 2020 By K.M. Allan23 Comments

While a great storyline and an intense setting can make for an excellent read, what really creates a great book is awesome characters. After all, how many pages have you kept turning just to see what happens to the MC? Getting your reader to care about your characters is a task every writer should aim …

Continue reading 7 Tips For Creating Awesome Characters

Posts navigation

Older posts

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 4,765 other subscribers
Follow K.M. Allan on WordPress.com
K.M. Allan

K.M. Allan

YA writer and blogger. Author of The Blackbirch Series, The Beginning, The Dark Half, and The Ritual (books 1, 2 & 3) are out now! I'm also an identical twin, but not the evil one.

View Full Profile →

  • Goodreads
  • Amazon
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Facebook

Search

Blackbirch: The Beginning

Blackbirch: The Dark Half

Blackbirch: The Ritual

Recent Posts

  • Time Blocking Your Writing Routine
  • New Year, New Writing Habits
  • Yearly Roundup 2022
  • Free Holiday Gifts For The Writer In Your Life
  • November 2022 Roundup

Top Posts

  • Time Blocking Your Writing Routine
  • How To Add Unpredictability To Your Story
  • 5 Ways To Avoid Info-Dumping
  • Questions To Ask Your Beta Reader
  • 4 Reasons To Use Internal Thoughts In Your Writing

Follow Me On Instagram

Did you catch my latest blog post about adding Time Blocking to your #WritingRoutine to help you focus, procrastinate less, & curb time-wasting habits? If not, check out the link in my bio.
And this week’s new read is The Rarkyn’s Familiar by @nikkymlee, an action-packed fantasy full of mythical creatures & revenge. I’m also reading through my 6th #ChristopherPike book for January & it happens to be the very first Pike #book I ever read—Witch. What are you currently #reading?
#WritingTipWednesday - 3. Dive Right In
#Blackbirch: The Dark Half Teaser.
Create a website or blog at WordPress.com
  • Follow Following
    • K.M. Allan
    • Join 4,279 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • K.M. Allan
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...