Writers Helping Writers^®

Resident Writing Coach

How to Find Critique Partners & Beta Readers

February 6, 2020

How to Find Critique Partners & Beta Readers

February 6, 2020

Outside feedback is vital to the success of your manuscript. As I’ve quoted many times before on my YouTube channel, according to Terry Pratchett, “The first draft is just you…

Build a Bridge: From Story Beginning to Main Conflict

January 28, 2020

Build a Bridge: From Story Beginning to Main Conflict

January 28, 2020

During one of my previous posts as a Resident Writing Coach, we talked about the importance of strong goals for helping our story move forward. But as we discussed in…

Six Steps to Setting Yourself up Financially as a Writer

January 14, 2020

Six Steps to Setting Yourself up Financially as a Writer

January 14, 2020

I’ve always loved the energy of a New Year. It’s alive with intentions and goals and the buzz of a fresh start. This New Year feels even more special because…

3 Steps To Writing Diverse Characters

December 17, 2019

3 Steps To Writing Diverse Characters

December 17, 2019

It’s official … Audiences have voted with their wallets and proved they WANT more diverse characters as standard. Novels lead the way, with breakout successes like Gone Girl and The…

Is It Necessary to Write EVERY day?

December 3, 2019

Is It Necessary to Write EVERY day?

December 3, 2019

Some time ago I was asked by Writers Digest to participate in a feature with nine other writing teachers. We’d each take a position on a well-known writing “rule.” Then another expert…

Writing for Carrots

November 19, 2019

Are you writing for carrots? It’s a weird question that I’ve had bubbling around my brain lately, so I probably need to explain. You’ve seen the old cartoons where the…

Improve Your Novel Writing: 11 Tips For Newbies

November 14, 2019

Improve Your Novel Writing: 11 Tips For Newbies

November 14, 2019

Writing a novel is flipping difficult. It often takes years to complete your first novel (and even more years after that to write a good one). You heard that right…

Surprising Your Readers in Every Scene

November 12, 2019

Surprising Your Readers in Every Scene

November 12, 2019

Often we think of surprising audiences with large twists and turns, with thrilling midpoints or shocking losses, but bringing surprise into smaller story pieces, like interactions and beats, can sometimes…

Diversity in Fiction: Writing the Character You’re Afraid to Write

October 8, 2019

Diversity in Fiction: Writing the Character You’re Afraid to Write

October 8, 2019

In the last two years, diversity in fiction has become more and more prevalent. We’ve seen blockbuster film and TV hits from award winning books like The Hate You Give by Angie…

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…