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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…

20 Ways to Get Paid as a Writer

February 10, 2026

20 Ways to Get Paid as a Writer

February 10, 2026

What do we, as artists, think about making money for doing our craft? This question will make a lot of you cringe. Why should we get paid for doing something…

Five Things I’d Go Back and Tell “New Writer Me”

February 5, 2026

Five Things I’d Go Back and Tell “New Writer Me”

February 5, 2026

Do you ever wish you could go back and have a chat with “New Writer You?” I think about that sometimes, about the things I’d tell that shiny, awkward, clueless…

The Real Story: Character Journey as Structure

January 22, 2026

The Real Story: Character Journey as Structure

January 22, 2026

Most writers think of story structure as a dry, architectural plot blueprint. Inciting incidents and pinch points and turning points map out the road as the characters stumble through their…

Betrayal and Plot Twists: 5 Ways to Hide Your Villain

January 20, 2026

Betrayal and Plot Twists: 5 Ways to Hide Your Villain

January 20, 2026

Every story needs a great villain! Sometimes, that villain is obvious–someone who’s not a part of your protagonist’s gang of supporters against whom everyone is fighting. Think Sauron in LORD…

Make Retreats Part of Your Writing Life

January 6, 2026

Make Retreats Part of Your Writing Life

January 6, 2026

It’s that time of year when writers and non-writers alike make huge aspirational lists of resolutions for the coming year. One of the most common things writers build into their…