Writers Helping Writers^®

Writing Craft

Win Feedback on 10 Pages Plus a 20 Minute Zoom

September 10, 2026

Win Feedback on 10 Pages Plus a 20 Minute Zoom

September 10, 2026

Want to win editorial feedback and take your storyfrom good to great? Well, my writerly friend, you’re in luck! It’s time for our monthly Phenomenal First Pages contest. In this draw,…

How to Deliver Important Backstory Using the Setting

September 3, 2026

How to Deliver Important Backstory Using the Setting

September 3, 2026

Backstory is often maligned despite being vital to storytelling. For example, how many times have you heard someone say, “Backstory is bad, strip it from the scene!” or, “Backstory slows…

Your Stakes Are Clear. So Why Doesn’t Anyone Care?

September 1, 2026

Your Stakes Are Clear. So Why Doesn’t Anyone Care?

September 1, 2026

Knowing what a character stands to lose is supposed to get readers invested in their struggle. Stakes you can see coming get readers rooting for a character. They keep readers…

Your Creative Brain Has Two Jobs – Stop Making It Do Both at Once

August 27, 2026

Your Creative Brain Has Two Jobs – Stop Making It Do Both at Once

August 27, 2026

Last week, I had one of those days when my creative brain needed one of those intersection traffic cops. (You’ve seen those cool cops, right? They’ve got the cool whistle,…

5 Mistakes Writers Make When Describing a Character’s Fear

August 25, 2026

5 Mistakes Writers Make When Describing a Character’s Fear

August 25, 2026

Fear is one of the most powerful emotions in a story so avoiding common mistakes is paramount. When readers sense a character is experiencing fear they practically lean in, waiting…

Write Your Way to the Finish Line: Save 20% at One Stop for Writers

August 20, 2026

Write Your Way to the Finish Line: Save 20% at One Stop for Writers

August 20, 2026

Writing is hard, and unfortunately, getting stuck can be part of the process. Figuring a way forward is important to keep that momentum going. That’s why we created the Storyteller’s…

How to Show a Character’s Fear in Real Time

August 18, 2026

How to Show a Character’s Fear in Real Time

August 18, 2026

Fear is much more than an emotion—it is one of the biggest influencers of human behavior. Whenever we encounter a situation with unknowns, fear kicks in. Even if we do…

Win Feedback on Your First Page!

August 13, 2026

Win Feedback on Your First Page!

August 13, 2026

Want to win editorial feedback and take your storyfrom good to great? Well, my writerly friend, you’re in luck! It’s time for our monthly Phenomenal First Pages contest. In this draw,…

4 Tips for Successfully Writing Picture Books

August 6, 2026

4 Tips for Successfully Writing Picture Books

August 6, 2026

Did you know I cut my teeth writing picture books? Well, technically, my first attempt was a chapter book. I didn’t bother doing any research; as a first grade teacher,…

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…