Writers Helping Writers^®

Resident Writing Coach

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…

Writing Fantasy: What Not To Do

July 21, 2026

Writing Fantasy: What Not To Do

July 21, 2026

Fantasy is my first love, full stop. You need to know this, because otherwise you might think I sound a bit cranky. Many elements are in play in a well-written…

Making the Most of Your Word Processing Tools

July 14, 2026

Making the Most of Your Word Processing Tools

July 14, 2026

Standard Manuscript Format for Writers Last month, I shared my tips for How to Use Scrivener (Without Anxiety). But as I mentioned in that post, the industry standard for publishing…

Will Your Story Keep Readers Hooked?

July 2, 2026

Will Your Story Keep Readers Hooked?

July 2, 2026

I’m reading a novel right now. It started out okay, but somewhere around chapter five, I noticed I was skimming—just moving my eyes across the page as fast as I…

How to Use Scrivener (Without Anxiety)

June 30, 2026

How to Use Scrivener (Without Anxiety)

June 30, 2026

When I tell writers how much I love using Scrivener to write my novels, I often get some version of “I bought it, but I’ve never used it because it’s…

How Are Writers like Holly Bushes?

June 18, 2026

How Are Writers like Holly Bushes?

June 18, 2026

I learned something fascinating about holly this week (besides that it can be a bush or a tree). What I learned is specific to the leaves. Apparently, holly leaves don’t…

What To Do If You Feel Overwhelmed With Writing

June 16, 2026

What To Do If You Feel Overwhelmed With Writing

June 16, 2026

You’re Not Alone Most writers feel overwhelmed with writing at some point. It’s part of the process! However, knowing this and dealing with it are two separate things. It’s all…

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…