Writers Helping Writers^®

Resident Writing Coach

Falling in Love: Types of Romance Stories

June 9, 2026

Falling in Love: Types of Romance Stories

June 9, 2026

From subgenres to tropes and beyond, there are many ways to categorize a romance story. We may not know exactly what type of story we’re writing while drafting (especially if…

How to Generate Better Story Ideas Using the Ones That Don’t Work

June 2, 2026

How to Generate Better Story Ideas Using the Ones That Don’t Work

June 2, 2026

Generating ideas is the most underrated skill in a novelist’s toolkit—more essential than an appetite for cold-blooded revision, a head for structure, or a gift for dialogue. Generating more story…

Five Truths I Learned Editing Hundreds of Books That Might Change Your Life

May 28, 2026

Five Truths I Learned Editing Hundreds of Books That Might Change Your Life

May 28, 2026

As a Book Coach and developmental editor, I work on hundreds of books with writers each year, in full or in part. I give feedback on drafts, debuts, and nearly…

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…

From Cathartic to Intentional: How to Write When It Feels Hard

April 21, 2026

From Cathartic to Intentional: How to Write When It Feels Hard

April 21, 2026

Ever feel like you’re having such a hard day or week or month that you’re not sure how to write anything at all? You’re not alone. Recently, someone in the…

What Your Story Problems Reveal About Your Writing Brain

April 2, 2026

What Your Story Problems Reveal About Your Writing Brain

April 2, 2026

Much as we may have things in common as writers, our brains are wired differently. How one writer creates a story is likely to be quite different from how another…

From Idea to Page: The Journey of a Romance Novel

March 17, 2026

From Idea to Page: The Journey of a Romance Novel

March 17, 2026

Romance is the #1 genre of all time. Whether you love it or loathe it yourself, it’s fair to say readers LOVE it! As someone who enjoys romance novels of…

Ooo La La: 5 Steps to Write Uncomfortable Scenes

March 10, 2026

Ooo La La: 5 Steps to Write Uncomfortable Scenes

March 10, 2026

For many authors, the most difficult type of scene to write (and write well) are sex scenes. However, any type of uncomfortable scene can feel awkward to write, as we…

How to Write Powerful Story Beats

March 3, 2026

How to Write Powerful Story Beats

March 3, 2026

Dialogue without anything else on the page feels like a screenplay—all setup for actors who will never arrive. In a film, the actors carry the scene. In your novel, the…

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…