Writers Helping Writers^®

Posts by Michelle Barker

Why Flexibility Matters for Pantsers AND Plotters

October 13, 2026

Why Flexibility Matters for Pantsers AND Plotters

October 13, 2026

Most writers who consider themselves as either pantsers or plotters tend to believe they can only be one thing: This is just how I’m wired. Once a pantser, always a…

Omniscient POV: Pitfalls and Best Practices

August 4, 2026

Omniscient POV: Pitfalls and Best Practices

August 4, 2026

A surprising number of first novels land on my desk as an editor that are written in omniscient point of view. I say surprising because I find it by far…

The Art of Withholding Information

May 19, 2026

The Art of Withholding Information

May 19, 2026

As authors we hold all the cards when it comes to how and when we reveal key information to our readers. Withholding certain details can create intrigue and set up…

Hierarchy of a Submission Package & Giveaway!

February 17, 2026

Hierarchy of a Submission Package & Giveaway!

February 17, 2026

I’ve been thinking a lot about submissions lately, not only because my co-author and I are launching a new book about the querying process, but also because I will be…

Qualities of a Successful Writer

November 18, 2025

Qualities of a Successful Writer

November 18, 2025

What makes a successful writer? Is there a recipe somewhere for the secret sauce that will guarantee success? Well, that depends at least partly on how you define success. Society…

Colonel Mustard in the Ballroom: How Setting Shapes Mystery

August 19, 2025

Colonel Mustard in the Ballroom: How Setting Shapes Mystery

August 19, 2025

Setting is a story element that must do double duty in any genre: it’s your backdrop, so it shouldn’t take over and become the story, but it should be chosen…

Reading Like a Writer

May 20, 2025

Reading Like a Writer

May 20, 2025

We all know that as writers we should be reading a lot. It’s one of the best ways to learn the craft, and Stephen King’s quote on the topic is…

How to Improve Your Chances of Getting Published

February 18, 2025

How to Improve Your Chances of Getting Published

February 18, 2025

If only there was a magic formula, a secret trick that would improve your chances of getting published. Well, there is—but it isn’t magic or secret, and in the end,…

Five Fears of Writers (and How to Defeat Them)

November 19, 2024

Five Fears of Writers (and How to Defeat Them)

November 19, 2024

When I first started working on this post, I thought, only five? But as I compiled my worst writer nightmares, I realized they do fall under five general headings. Fear…

Creating Suspense in any Genre

August 20, 2024

Creating Suspense in any Genre

August 20, 2024

When we think about suspense in writing, we naturally leap to thrillers and mysteries, genres that are known for suspense and rely on it. But that doesn’t mean the rest…