Find the time to write, even when time is scarce. — Find the time to write, even when time is scarce. If you are an adult human, chances are good that you are busy. The fact for most of us is that in our technologically-enhanced, comparison-fraught, accomplishment-driven culture, we simply do not have enough time. …

We know it’s important for writers to also be avid readers. But what does it look like to study a book to improve your own writing? — We all know that it’s important for writers to also be avid readers. But today I want to talk about what it means to study a book for certain structural elements or devices that the author used effectively. There are three types of reading that a writer should do. One…

Writing can be hard. It can be lonely. It can feel unachievable. Here is a list of reasons why you should keep writing anyway. — Writing can be hard. It can be lonely. It can feel unachievable. Here is a list of reasons why you should keep writing anyway. Your story matters. It matters because it is a snapshot of the human experience (yes, even sci-fi/fantasy/horror-monster stories!) These snapshots build a network of experiences through which readers and…

What if I told you there was a strategy that would both keep you focused and save time as you write your story? Well, my friend, there is. — What if I told you there was a strategy that would both keep you focused and save time as you write your story? Well, my friend, there is. I wanted to title this article “begin with the end in mind,” one of Steven Covey’s trademarked 7 habits of Highly Effective…

Hopefully, if you are a writer, you are also a voracious reader. This is the most effective way to understand story and craft. — Hopefully, if you are a writer, you are also a voracious reader. This is the most effective way to understand story and craft. It’s also worth it for writers to consider why readers read, because then we can make decisions about who our ideal readers might be and what might…

I think that most writers, especially those in the early stages of developing a writing life and/or career, probably think that the… — I think that most writers, especially those in the early stages of developing a writing life and/or career, probably think that the support comes once the work is mostly done, whether it’s in the form of an agent, editor, or publisher. So, in other words, we have to have proven…

My middle-grade novel was a mess. — My middle-grade novel was a mess. I’d been writing in circles, creating a first draft that was decidedly not working. The problem was that I had two main characters who were alternating as narrators, and I couldn’t keep track of where their narratives intersected. Well, okay, that was ONE problem…

You know how some books stick with you for years? Perhaps it was the shocking twist at the end, or the content resonated with something… — You know how some books stick with you for years? Perhaps it was the shocking twist at the end, or the content resonated with something you were going through at the time. Books stay with us for all kinds of reasons. …

You’ve probably heard lots of writing advice about fleshing out your characters, whether it’s by using physical descriptions, body language… — You’ve probably heard lots of writing advice about fleshing out your characters, whether it’s by using physical descriptions, body language or backstory. The protagonist is the main character, the person whose story it is that you’re writing, and it is absolutely important that you have a fleshed out, three-dimensional vision…