Writers Helping Writers^®

Resident Writing Coach

Saggy Middle? Use Conflict to Nip and Tuck It

May 16, 2019

Saggy Middle? Use Conflict to Nip and Tuck It

May 16, 2019

When I get a new story idea, I fly into the start of it with as much gusto as a kid in a candy store. I’m filled with the buzz…

Story Structure in a Flash

May 14, 2019

Story structure can sometimes be difficult to wrap our minds around; there are so many different structures, all with different terminology and slightly different meanings. But today I’m going to…

How Should I Publish My Book?

May 9, 2019

Do you aspire to write a book and be a published author one day? If so, you are not alone. According to Joseph Epstein, author, essayist, short-story writer, and editor,…

Plot, Inner Change, Evocative Writing—What Really Rivets Readers?

April 16, 2019

Plot, Inner Change, Evocative Writing—What Really Rivets Readers?

April 16, 2019

Here’s a counterintuitive fact: Writers spend way too much time obsessing about “the writing.” They sweat over the words, the technique, the language, the flow, the use of metaphor, and…

The Emotionally Intelligent Writer

April 2, 2019

The Emotionally Intelligent Writer

April 2, 2019

I’m a psychologist, so I like to believe there are a set of characteristics that can predict author success. Sure, like any subset of the population—and I’m going to define…

Goal-Oriented Storytelling: Novelty

March 19, 2019

Goal-Oriented Storytelling: Novelty

March 19, 2019

In the first post of my four-part series, I introduced ANTS, my framework for helping storytellers make strategic choices that increase reader engagement. ANTS stands for the effects a storyteller should seek…

Layering Character for Believable Fiction

March 14, 2019

Layering Character for Believable Fiction

March 14, 2019

Layering: the deepest, richest, most compelling aspect of character We hear a lot of talk about “layering” as a storytelling device. The more layers a character has, the more complex and…

Does Every Lead Character Need An Arc?

March 5, 2019

Does Every Lead Character Need An Arc?

March 5, 2019

At a Bouchercon some years ago, Lee Child was part of a panel on characters in thrillers. An audience member asked him a question about character change. “Every character has…

Look Forward, Not Backward, to Pull the Reader In

February 12, 2019

Look Forward, Not Backward, to Pull the Reader In

February 12, 2019

A lot of writers have the tendency to look “backward” when writing. They might use a lot of flashbacks, they might have a character think “back” on things, or they…

The Key Components of a Compelling Character (According to Psychology)

January 23, 2019

The Key Components of a Compelling Character (According to Psychology)

January 23, 2019

We’re fascinated by our fellow humans. In fact, we have a profound desire to try and understand the thoughts and feelings bouncing around other people, the characters on TV…the hero…