Dialogue is a key component of fiction, narrative nonfiction, and memoir writing. Done well, it captures the reader's imagination and immerses them in the story. But there are common mistakes many writers make when writing…
My editor helped me tighten my story outline. My editor strengthened my memoir's narrative. My editor caught that I'd used the phrase "Here's the thing" 24 times in my manuscript. My editor saved me from…
The answer is in most of the manuscripts that cross my desk, the ones that were written without editorial input or guidance. Many, if not most, have structural issues that will mean taking them apart…
You're not writing your autobiography. That's because an autobiography is a chronological story of one's entire life to date, and most of us who aren't celebrities simply can't sustain reader interest in that sort of…
“The first draft is just you telling yourself the story.” The late novelist Terry Pratchett is one of many writers who’ve said some variation of the above. That’s because it’s pure truth. You can’t tell…
It's a grey, blustery day in Montreal, and it's got me thinking about the long winter ahead. Vermont winters can last six months long. Three ways to deal with it: snowbirding, find a favorite outdoor…
So you've been writing and writing, and at this point, you want to throw your manuscript - or maybe even your entire laptop - across the room. You can't stand to look at it anymore.…
Writing is like a sport. If you don’t practice, you don’t get any better. Rick Riordan We were all taught how to write at some point. But what most of us learned was centered around…
Kill your darlings, kill your darlings, even when it breaks your egocentric little scribbler's heart, kill your darlings. ~ Stephen King Few writers are as prolific as Stephen King. As of mid-2022, King has written…
Some writers can’t get started. Some writers can’t finish. There are different ways to overcome either challenge, but there’s one that addresses both: Get outside help. From trying to cut your own hair to trouble-shooting…
