If you’re all about Mark Zuckerberg’s famous credo “move fast and break things,” you may feel confident diving from writing into self-revision and then editing. But if you like to get the lay of the land before trying new things, or if you’d appreciate having an experienced guide to call on as … [Read more...] about What’s the Difference Between an Editor and a Book Coach?
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10 Things Lego Has Taught Me About Story-Building
By P.A. Cornell Writers tend to think of writing as work. In my experience, the creative process is more akin to play. One of my favorite childhood toys for creative play were those classic Lego bricks. There was something calming about clicking the colorful bricks together, and a sense of … [Read more...] about 10 Things Lego Has Taught Me About Story-Building
Four Reasons Your Action-Based Scene is Failing (And How to Avoid It)
We’ve all heard the writing advice that our stories must hook readers from the start, and that pacing our scenes so readers stick around is equally important. It’s all too easy to take that advice and assume we must infuse our scenes with all the makings of a blockbuster movie. Speed, chases, … [Read more...] about Four Reasons Your Action-Based Scene is Failing (And How to Avoid It)
Slay Your Bloated Word Count
Practical tips to tackle a manuscript that’s too long without killing the scenes you love. So, you’ve written THE END on your draft, congratulations! The only problem is, your word count is way too high for your genre. I work with a lot of writers working on their first books, which I love. … [Read more...] about Slay Your Bloated Word Count
5 Ways to Approach Your Novel Like a Trial Lawyer
So much about good storytelling mirrors the way a lawyer might lay out the case for their client. Our job as writers is to select events and characters that reveal the protagonist we hope the reader will see. In effect, we are manipulating scenes so that they present our protagonist’s inner … [Read more...] about 5 Ways to Approach Your Novel Like a Trial Lawyer
Happy Holidays & Our Favorite Recipes
Angela, Becca and I hope you’re having an amazing holiday season full of family, friends, good food and special memories. We are so grateful for your visits, kind words of support, and trust in us. We love serving the writing community through this blog, One Stop for Writers, books, and … [Read more...] about Happy Holidays & Our Favorite Recipes
3 Action-Reaction Misfires That Flatten Your Writing
Cause and effect. Stimulus and response. Action and reaction. Everything in a story depends on what the characters do about whatever the story pushes them up against. Stiff, disconnected, or missing character reactions snap the chain of cause and effect that constitutes your story. When readers … [Read more...] about 3 Action-Reaction Misfires That Flatten Your Writing
Game-Changing Creative Tools for New & Advanced Writers
One thing that drives all writers is the desire to create a truly amazing story, one a reader can't put down or forget. It's why we're always learning to deepen our storytelling skills - we want that next book to be our best one yet. But the learning curve can be frustrating, and it's hard … [Read more...] about Game-Changing Creative Tools for New & Advanced Writers
Five Micro-Edits to Hook Readers On Your First Page
Ah, first pages. We angst over them. We change them incessantly. We hope they’ll nab readers and agents and editors. No pressure, right? While there are many big considerations for what your first page must do, today we’ll be covering five micro-edits you can apply that work like stealthy secret … [Read more...] about Five Micro-Edits to Hook Readers On Your First Page
Feedback and Editing: The Right Eyes at the Right Time
Unless you wrote your book exclusively for your own satisfaction, once your creative vision is on the page, it’s time to zoom in on how the book works for readers. The key is getting the right kind of feedback for where you are in the revision and editing process—and dodging the kind that will pull … [Read more...] about Feedback and Editing: The Right Eyes at the Right Time
Use Conflict to Target a Character’s Soft Spots
Conflict is a key story ingredient, one we need a lot of, but this doesn't mean quantity is better than quality. Fiction isn’t a video game; waves of bad guys with guns won't keep readers tuned in for long. They expect to see a variety of conflict, including meaningful problems that deepen the … [Read more...] about Use Conflict to Target a Character’s Soft Spots
3 Tricks to Reel Your Reader in With Flashbacks
We oftentimes hear the word flashback and we begin to think of all the don’ts associated with them. Don’t use them too early. Don’t let them go on too long. Don’t include too many. The list goes on and on. Flashbacks get a bad rap because they’re oftentimes misunderstood in terms of how to use them. … [Read more...] about 3 Tricks to Reel Your Reader in With Flashbacks