Writers Helping Writers^®

About Us

Don’t Let Excess Baggage Bring Down Your Character’s Plane

August 10, 2021

Don’t Let Excess Baggage Bring Down Your Character’s Plane

August 10, 2021

We’ve all heard that characters need backstory, and in particular, an emotional wound that they’re carrying around when we meet them on page one. (As an aside, if you haven’t…

Fight, Flight, or Freeze: What’s Your Character’s Go-To Response?

July 22, 2021

Fight, Flight, or Freeze: What’s Your Character’s Go-To Response?

July 22, 2021

Fight, flight, or freeze. I think we’ve all heard variations of this phrase. It refers to the way each person is hard-wired to react to real or perceived danger: we…

What’s Your Character’s Love Language? (And Why Does it Matter?)

July 13, 2021

What’s Your Character’s Love Language? (And Why Does it Matter?)

July 13, 2021

Creating characters can be an exciting time for writers, but it can also cause headaches if we don’t understand what motivates them or how they should react to certain situations…

Procrastination vs. Real Writing Crisis: How to Tell the Difference

July 1, 2021

Procrastination vs. Real Writing Crisis: How to Tell the Difference

July 1, 2021

You’re not writing. It’s been a few weeks now, and your regular writing routine has gone out the window. Are you struggling with a legitimate writing crisis, or are you…

8 Ways to Write Your Novel’s Outline

June 15, 2021

8 Ways to Write Your Novel’s Outline

June 15, 2021

Writers who don’t outline are often very loud online. They will say outlines kills creativity. They may even go so far as to claim an outline is a ‘straightjacket’ and…

Nods, Smiles, and Frowns: How Can We Avoid “Talking Heads”…and Cliches?

June 8, 2021

Nods, Smiles, and Frowns: How Can We Avoid “Talking Heads”…and Cliches?

June 8, 2021

Context is often an underappreciated element of our writing because when not done well, a context-filled passage can become a tell-not-show info dump. However, context is essential for most aspects…

7 Clues that Reveal Writing is Part of Your Life’s Purpose

June 5, 2021

7 Clues that Reveal Writing is Part of Your Life’s Purpose

June 5, 2021

It’s one thing to enjoy writing. It’s another to believe that writing is part of your life’s purpose. How can you tell which may be the case for you? Watch…

Does Your Character Have a Secret?

May 25, 2021

Does Your Character Have a Secret?

May 25, 2021

We all have secrets – you do and I do. And let’s face it, we work hard to not let them get out. But at the same time, when we…

The Journey to Success

May 18, 2021

The Journey to Success

May 18, 2021

One of the things I love most about being an author is the opportunity to read books from people I personally know. I have read fabulous books by authors whom…

Power Up Individual Scenes with a Scene Tracker

May 11, 2021

Power Up Individual Scenes with a Scene Tracker

May 11, 2021

One of the most powerful tools in a writer’s toolkit is a scene tracker, also known as a scene map. Whether you’re drafting or you’re looking to revise a finished draft,…