From Chaos to Cadence
The Big Three Beats are what carry your protagonist from A to Z. And it’s how you get started on creating a strong revision plan.
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Journey Through My Profession: Creativity by Me for Me
I had zero intentions of becoming a published author. My 2024 editor-author and coaching journeys changed my mind.
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Year-End Review 2024: An Honest Accounting
With 2024 coming to a close, it’s about that time for a brutally honest year-end review for my business.
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Mental Health Break (AKA Going On Hiatus)
I speak a lot about taking mental health breaks when they’re needed. I have to remember that self-care means taking care of me, too.
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Happily Ever After or Happy For Now: Create Reader Satisfaction
Whether “ever after” or “for now,” queer romance readers need their happy ending. Here’s how to give it to them.
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Epilogue or No Epilogue: Does Your Story Need One?
Epilogues get a bad name. They serve a purpose, but they can also detract from a story. Decide carefully on when to use one.
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Climax in Romance (No, Not That Kind)
Your romance’s climax is what the entire story has been leading up to. Make it worth your readers’ time in three ways.
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Acting Out the Dark Night
Apparently experiencing my own Dark Nights isn’t enough. As an author, I act out my characters’ lowest moments as well. Here’s how.
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Emotional Pain, or The Necessity of Rock Bottom
Character growth can’t happen without emotional pain and the rock bottom that comes with it. Here’s a few reasons it’s necessary to your queer romance.
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Weave the Romance: How I Avoid the Sagging Middle
Writing the middle of my story is difficult, to say the least. I’ve picked up a few tricks, though, to help me along the way.
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Transition Scenes: How to Connect the Dots
Readers need transition scenes to follow the cause and effect of a character’s decisions. Here’s a few tips on how to create them.
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Story Beats in Your Queer Romance
Story Beats in Your Queer Romance: When “Romancing the Beat” Isn’t Enough Despite being the top-selling genre, romance novels continue to catch a bad name. The word “formulaic” is bandied about as though every story ever written doesn’t follow a formula of one kind or another. Within romance, categories abound, especially
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Decision Points: Plantsing My Way Through My Story
I try to anticipate my characters’ decision points. Often I fail. Still, the process works for me. This blog covers why.
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Plot Points and Turning Points: Doorways to the Unknown
Plot points and turning points make up every major story structure. Here’s a few ways to use them in your queer romance story.
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Ignoring Structure: When to Toss the Blueprint
The strongest queer romance stories don’t just bend structure. They ignore it in a way that still keeps readers glued to the page.
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Fichtean Curve: Why It’s My Preferred Structural Framework
Queer romance relationships are just as messy as cishet ones. The Fichtean curve shows that messiness perfectly.
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Structure Your Queer Romance Story
Story structure isn’t as intimidating as you might think. For queer romance especially, it’s crucial to have in your writing toolbox.
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Intimacy: How I Spice Up My Fiction
Emotional or physical, I strive to balance the intimacy levels to give my queer romance readers a well-rounded reading experience.
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Tension and Humor in Queer Romance
Balancing humor and tension in your queer romance isn’t as easy as it looks. Here’s three tips to finding that sweet spot.
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Inner Conflict in Queer Romance
Inner conflict in queer romance is supposed to be painful. Here are three types that will help guide your character face their ultimate fear: themself.
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Story Location is Everything: How I Picked the Perfect Setting
Story locations can be hard to find. Making sure I keep readers immersed internally and externally can be even harder.
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Career Choice: Not Something to Ignore
What does your character’s career choice have to do with anything in your queer romance story? A lot more than you think.
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Character Tropes in Queer Romance
Character tropes are only the starting point to building your queer romance story. Here’s how to craft well-rounded characters even with tropes.
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Mental Health and Queer Romance
I live with mental health diagnoses. So do my characters. The more it’s normalized in real life, the easier for queer romance authors to show it.
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Character Arcs: Picking the Best One
Character arcs are all about change. Pick the arc that best shows the change you want readers to experience.
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