Writers Helping Writers^®

Posts by Jami Gold

And…Action! Applying TV Lessons to Chapter Hooks

September 11, 2018

And…Action! Applying TV Lessons to Chapter Hooks

September 11, 2018

We’ve probably all heard the advice to end our scenes and chapters on a hook. At the end of every scene or chapter, readers might put down our book and…

Watch Out! Avoiding Sneaky Plot Holes

June 12, 2018

Watch Out! Avoiding Sneaky Plot Holes

June 12, 2018

When judging a story’s quality, one of the first questions we might measure against is “Are there any plot holes?” Plot holes can cause a loud *record scratch* “Wait, what?”…

Deepening Our Story: Theme It Like You Mean It

March 13, 2018

Deepening Our Story: Theme It Like You Mean It

March 13, 2018

Our story’s themes—our messages to readers of what to value or believe—can add depth and meaning to our writing, but to avoid being too on-the-nose, our themes are usually developed…

Episodic vs. Epic: Go Bigger with Your Writing

December 12, 2017

Episodic vs. Epic: Go Bigger with Your Writing

December 12, 2017

One of the most common reasons given by authors for why they write is a desire to create something meaningful for their readers, something that will stick with them or…

Writing to the Beat: Translating Story Beats to Any Genre

September 12, 2017

Writing to the Beat: Translating Story Beats to Any Genre

September 12, 2017

Readers of my blog know I’m a big fan of beat sheets, even creating a beat sheet for romance stories. Because of that, writers ask me what beats they should…

A Question of When: Indicating Time Passage in Our Stories

June 13, 2017

A Question of When: Indicating Time Passage in Our Stories

June 13, 2017

Today, we’re looking at how to show the passing of time between scenes. First, let’s recap why it’s important for our readers to be at least vaguely aware of the…

What Does It Mean To “Raise the Stakes”?

March 14, 2017

What Does It Mean To “Raise the Stakes”?

March 14, 2017

Last time I visited, we discussed how understanding the interconnectedness of our story elements can help us with revisions, and today we’re going to dig deeper into one of those…

The Revision Circle: Does My Story Have Too Many Problems?

December 13, 2016

The Revision Circle: Does My Story Have Too Many Problems?

December 13, 2016

I’m so excited to join WHW as a Resident Writing Coach (because Angela and Becca are awesome—am I right?). *smile* If you’re not familiar with me, I’m Jami Gold, and…