Sep 9, 20215 minWTF Do All These Acronyms Stand For?If you've spent any time on social media with publishing professionals, you've likely seen a slew of acronyms
Aug 25, 20217 minWhat Genre is My Book???Pick one genre, maybe give yourself a modifier for that genre and then relegate the rest of your story to the blurb and synopsis.
Aug 11, 20214 minThat's It - I Quit.And at the time we said it, we meant it. I did, anyway. I truly, completely meant I would never write creatively again. Not one word.
Aug 4, 20213 minDon't Use NumbersI recently read a book in which the narrator described another character as "hulking" and "imposing" and "scarily intimidating". The...
Jul 28, 20212 min25 Things Every Revising Writer Does16. Wonder if maybe this whole novel should be in first person.
Jul 22, 20216 minHow to Pick Better Comp TitlesComping to both of them is a little like saying, "I've made this brand new cola. t is going to sell like Coke and Pepsi combined."
Jul 15, 20216 minHow to Write 20K in a Day here are a few reasons you might want to fast-draft, and here are some tips to help you write a whole lot of words in very few days:
Jul 8, 20212 minThe Ultimate Plotting ToolDan Wells 7-point plot system, combined with Save the Cat, added the Scene-Sequel strategy, and wrapped in the 3-Act structure.
Jul 1, 20213 minNudging Pay attention to submission guidelines, keep your emails brief and professional, and only nudge when necessary.
Jun 23, 20215 minQuerying is So Much More Than a LetterNONE of this is more important than a good book. This is all just a few ways to keep your querying process organized.
May 25, 20202 minThe Difference Between Plotting and Pantsing (for me)“I want to be surprised by the story!” I told myself (and anyone who would even pretend to listen).
May 18, 20204 minNot Going for the Easy DramaJim and Jan are in the parking lot. They’re both lonely. They’re both sad. They’re both frustrated and fed up with their circumstances.
Dec 18, 20153 minOn Star Wars and Killing Your DarlingsSo kill your darlings. Kill them dead and don’t look back. Don’t be George Lucas.
Apr 16, 20152 minWriting contests, baking cookies, and taking adviceRemember that those offering advice might like different cookies than you do.
Mar 6, 20153 minControversial Advice on Twitter PitchingThis advice is different than most advice you’ll see on this subject. For that, I do not apologize.
Mar 3, 20152 minA "Regular" Writer Responds to That MFA DudeI read it thinking it would be a positive experience. Here are my reactions, as they came to me the first time I read it.
Feb 6, 20153 minI HAVE AN AGENT.Pitchwars was involved and she originally contacted me via a PitMad event this past summer.
Jun 10, 20142 minBad Query ContestI have been writing since I was two-years-old and have taken, like, five community college classes on writing, if you count English 101
Apr 2, 20143 minOn Disappointing Endings and Who Owns the CreationUntil that book is published, until the tv show airs, until the movie premiers, that story belongs to the creator.