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…
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…
“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…
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…
People can’t buy and read a book they don’t know exists. And they can’t know it exists unless you – or someone else who knows about it – tells them. But many of the writers…
Remember Paper Clip Guy? He used to pop up in MS Word: "I see you're writing a letter! Do you need help?" When you write a book, the Universe is, essentially, Paper Clip Guy. "I…
"Your book is coming out next spring!"This is one of the sweetest missives a writer can receive. Especially those of us who always knew - who hoped - we'd one day write a book. When…
