Organizing your story from the end to the beginning connects events in a way that your drafting (and especially your revising) stages become easier to reflect on one word at a time.
How to Write Your Story in Reverse Read More »
This week, I cover the misunderstood title of “pantser” in fiction writing. More importantly, I provide a few tips on how you can “pants” your way to a first draft without the internal panic.
How to Write a Story from Start to Finish Read More »
The first ten percent of your novel is not where you want your readers to get entangled in the details. I provide advice on the best (and not-so-best) places to drop in information vital to understanding who your protagonist in at any given point in your story.
Do You Have Too Much Backstory or Not Enough? Read More »
Introducing a reader to your novel isn’t just about the character’s external journey taking place. Readers need an understanding of your protagonist beyond their external goals.
Ordinary Does Not Mean Boring Read More »
Famous duos run through books, TV shows, movies, and all other forms of media and entertainment. Here’s just a few of those duos, why their connections run so deep, and how their roles should be replicated to your own fiction writing.
Use Supporting Characters to Help and Hinder Your Protagonist Read More »
Your protagonist’s internal journey is only as strong as their external one. The environment the story is set in should be built up in conjunction with the character’s arc and the plot’s development.
Create an Impactful Story World Read More »
DNF’ing a book is a part of every reader’s life. There are foundational ideas that lower the chances of an author’s target reader closing their book for good.
Avoid the Dreaded DNF Read More »
Reflect on who your character is versus who your character wants to be, even just one word at a time.
Stay True to Your Characters Read More »
Alpha readers and beta readers work hand in hand, but they very much belong at opposite ends of the drafting process.
Alpha Readers vs. Beta Readers and When to Find Them Read More »
In fiction writing, authors always reach a point where they believe their story is never going to be finished because it’s just not perfect yet. This week, I offer a look at what each subsequent draft of a novel should cover, so you don’t lose yourself in the rabbit hole of fixing every minor error before you either move forward with self-publishing or hiring a professional author.
How Many Drafts Is Too Many? Read More »
I have learned a lot over the past two-plus decades about what it takes to be both an editor and an author. This week, I cover a few of those lessons.
Balancing Being an Editor and Author Read More »
Last week, I wrote about the importance of understanding your skill sets and abilities within the book editing process, and why I chose the specialties I did. This week, I cover the other side of the equation: genre writing. There are a few ways fiction authors can decide the subgenre that best fits their style and personalities. Read on to learn more!
Niching: Genre Writing Read More »
When you evaluate your own skill set (and potential skill sets), it makes it all the easier to find the niche of your profession. It’s especially important in fiction editing. Here I discuss why I’ve chosen the niches I have: developmental editing and proofreading.
Niching: Editing Levels Read More »
The end of 2023’s Camp NaNoWriMo came six weeks ago. It was my first year participating. Check out this week’s article on how that participation affected my approach to fiction writing and the lessons you can think about applying to your own processes!
How NaNoWriMo Changed Me as a Writer Read More »
Fan fiction has so much more to offer authors than the opportunity to play around with their favorite TV, book, or movie characters. Writing fan fiction offers the chance to hone your craft. This week’s blog article argues why that’s the case.
Fan Fiction to Original Fiction: Is It Worth the Jump? Read More »
Sometimes you have to get out of your own way, and let the universe guide you on an unpredictable journey.
Blogging Advice from a Burgeoning Blogger Read More »
There’s something special about writing prompts. Even for someone who primarily sticks with the editing side of the book publishing process, I find them vital to stirring up creativity. I provide a few ways to make them work best for authors, no matter their preferred genre.
Make Writing Prompts Work for You Read More »
There are countless writing craft books on the shelves these days, spanning fiction and nonfiction, and every genre within those categories. I highlight two that I’ve discovered, two that should serve as the foundation of every fiction writer’s craft library.
Craft Books: Writing Resources Read More »
The final stage of the editing process is proofreading. In this week’s article, I go just beneath the surface of this process, and why it’s so vital for authors to go through this prior to moving forward in their book publishing journey. While proofreaders focus on the smallest details, they can still help authors improve their story “one word at a time!”
The Editing Process: Proofreading Read More »
The publishing process would not be complete without copyediting, covering the mechanical side of how a manuscript reads and looks. This week, I discuss what that entails and how it helps an author reflect on their manuscript one word at a time.
The Editing Process: Copyediting Read More »
Word by word and sentence by sentence. In this week’s blog on the editing process, I focus on what exactly it is line editors do and how they work to improve your story “one word at a time!”
The Editing Process: Line Editing Read More »
Even best-selling authors have to go through the editing process, and it all starts with developmental editing. Follow me as I break down this initial step in the editing journey and introduces the key questions to be answered at this stage in the book publishing journey.
The Editing Process: Developmental Editing Read More »
Originally published on LinkedIn, I provide an overview of the services I look forward to providing as I venture into the world of freelance editing.
The Right Editor for the Right Client Read More »
