Writers Helping Writers^®

Posts by Tamar Sloan

Joining Forces: Harnessing the Power of Coauthoring

July 7, 2020

Joining Forces: Harnessing the Power of Coauthoring

July 7, 2020

I always knew coauthoring had benefits – half the workload, and twice the platform to launch from are the obvious bonuses. Sure, you have to split your royalties, but you…

Capturing an Unhappy Relationship: A Writer’s Roadmap

January 7, 2020

Capturing an Unhappy Relationship: A Writer’s Roadmap

January 7, 2020

Relationships are a complicated beast, and if you write romance like me, then you’re wed (pun intended) to the HEA ending (happily ever after). But the reality is, we have…

Writerly Procrastination: Why It Happens & How To Break Free of It

October 1, 2019

Writerly Procrastination: Why It Happens & How To Break Free of It

October 1, 2019

I don’t mean to brag, but procrastination is my superpower, one that I’ve honed through years of dedicated training. In the course of writing this post, I’ve come up with…

Digging Deep: The Psychology of a Layered Story

July 2, 2019

Digging Deep: The Psychology of a Layered Story

July 2, 2019

Humans like complexity: puzzles, questions, layers. It fascinates us. My guess it’s because there are so many complex systems in nature that our brain needs to navigate successfully. Ecosystems, weather…

The Emotionally Intelligent Writer

April 2, 2019

The Emotionally Intelligent Writer

April 2, 2019

I’m a psychologist, so I like to believe there are a set of characteristics that can predict author success. Sure, like any subset of the population—and I’m going to define…

The Key Components of a Compelling Character (According to Psychology)

January 23, 2019

The Key Components of a Compelling Character (According to Psychology)

January 23, 2019

We’re fascinated by our fellow humans. In fact, we have a profound desire to try and understand the thoughts and feelings bouncing around other people, the characters on TV…the hero…

Capturing Complex Emotion: A Writer’s Superpower

October 2, 2018

Capturing Complex Emotion: A Writer’s Superpower

October 2, 2018

Our brain is driven by emotion. We may like to think we’re rational beings, applying the rules of logic calmly and sensibly to those little and not-so-little decisions, but our…

How To “Level Up” Your Character’s Wound

July 3, 2018

Understanding how to properly create a character's emotional wound

How To “Level Up” Your Character’s Wound

July 3, 2018

Every writer who has spent time studying the craft writing knows of the character wound, and that they are the foundation of a strong, memorable character. Why? Because they make…

Deepening Character Complexity with the Help of Psychology

April 3, 2018

Deepening Character Complexity with the Help of Psychology

April 3, 2018

Psychologists will often conduct a case formulation when a client presents in our office. If we want to be part of the change the client is seeking, then we have…

Three Powerful Techniques To Harness A Reader’s Curiosity

January 2, 2018

Three Powerful Techniques To Harness A Reader’s Curiosity

January 2, 2018

Psychology has spent over a century studying human behavior; our emotions, thoughts, needs and wants, what draws us in and what pushes us away. This means psychology can teach us…