We all want to clever stories that keep our readers on the edge of their comfy chairs, tearing through pages to piece everything together. But sometimes in our quest for cleverness, we sacrifice clarity. Instead of intrigued, our readers are just confused. In this post, I dig into how to keep your readers grounded and keep them guessing.

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I’m also over on Substack, where my free newsletter, You Are Here, is dedicated to changing the conversation around writing and publishing and encouraging writers to stand in their own power as artists and creators. Here’s a piece I wrote on a new way to handle perfectionism in your writing process. Hint: Banishment doesn’t work.

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Whether we’re writing epic fantasy or gritty realism, we’re asking readers to go on an adventure with us. That adventure will never get off the ground, however, if you don’t invite your reader into your story world. In this post, I share my favorite tip for creating a living, breathing story world.

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One of the most common questions - and worries - I hear from writers is whether they’ve written an engaging story. It feels like a mystery, this skill good writers have of sucking us readers into a story. It’s not mysterious - the skill, or the reason why writers struggle with this. In this post, I dive into what element all stories need to hook their readers.

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The age of your protagonist is only part of it. In this post, I dive into what really makes a book Middle Grade, Young Adult, or Adult and how to make sure you’re giving your readers the experience they’re expecting.

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When writers hear the word ‘antagonism’, their minds often go straight to the main antagonist. But antagonism is so much more than that. Find out how building an antagonism hierarchy can infuse your story with the kind of conflict that keeps readers turning pages.

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In the final installment of my three-part series of posts on the 7 Key Elements of Story Structure, I take on the criticism that story structure makes for formulaic stories. In fact, the opposite is true. Find out why, and how story structure can help you write a story only you could write. Then, we dive into Act 3.

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What POV have you chosen to write your story in? Why? Do you understand it’s strengths? It’s weaknesses? In this post, I take a look at one of the most important choices you will make about your story.

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In Part 2 of my three-part series on the seven elements of successful stories, I dig into Act 2. The famously Messy Middle can be daunting, hazy, overwhelming. Many writers find themselves lost in the story woods at this point in their story. But Act 2 does have some key guideposts that can help you navigate through the story woods.

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Understanding the hidden architecture of stories is the key to getting to The End. This series of posts looks at the Seven Elements that all stories share. When you hit all seven elements, you’ll have a story that works. Miss an element, misunderstand an element, or lack clarity on an element, and you’ll struggle to write a story that works. In Part 1, we look at your Open and your Inciting Incident.

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Worldbuilding is not something just speculative fiction writers need to think about. All stories need worldbuilding. It’s what grounds the reader in the characters’ world. Without it, it’s hard for readers to fully understand the story and the characters.

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One of the most common mistakes that I see in my editing and coaching practice is a story with a passive protagonist. Like a writer deciding to wait for the perfect writing day to happen to them, passive protagonists sit back and wait for the story to happen to them.But readers lose interest in passive protagonists pretty quickly.

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Did you know that every genre has an acceptable word count range? It’s based on things like reader expectations (or tolerance, as it were) on length, book sales, and even the price of paper. And it can mean the difference between your book getting published, or languishing indefinitely on your desktop.

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An important part of character interiority is seeing a POV character reference their life experience and future hopes on the page as they are faced with choices and challenges. When this gets left out, you end up with what’s called an ever-present narrator.

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A developmental edit is a good option if you’re someone who likes to learn on their own. 1:1 coaching is a good option if you’re someone who learns best with a guide. Someone who wants the structure and accountability. Which approach works best for you?

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How do you know if you’re trying out a new genre for the right reasons?

The answer, writer, is to know thyself.

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