In today’s episode, we’re going to do something fun and a little different. Since we’re nearing the end of 2022, I thought it would be fun to continue with last week’s theme of lessons learned over the last twelve months. I hope some of the lessons you’ve learned this year came from this podcast,...

Do you ever wonder what the writing process is like for other writers? Or if they run into some of the same challenges or traps as you do? In this post, I'm giving you a glimpse behind the scenes and sharing some of the key takeaways I learned from coaching writers this year. And although there'...

I recently sat down for a conversation with James Beswick—one of the writers who took my Notes to Novel course earlier this year—to talk about his outlining, writing, and editing journey over the last 12 months. To give you a quick overview of James’s amazing accomplishments, he enrolled in the ...

In today’s episode, we’re going to talk about the conventions of the crime genre. So, these are the character roles, settings, and events that need to be present in a crime story in order for it to work and to satisfy fans of the genre.  I’m also going to show you how these genre conventions sho...

I recently sat down for a conversation with Stefanie Medrek—one of the writers I have the immense pleasure of working with—to talk about her writing, editing, and publishing journey over the last few years. To give you a quick overview of Stefanie’s amazing accomplishments, she wrote a first dra...

Do you want to write a story about a character who wants to improve their social or economic position?  In this post, I’m going to cover the ten genre conventions that must be present in your status story to satisfy readers and to write a story that works. I’m also going to show you how these co...

Every book needs editing. And if we’re being honest, editing your own work is nearly impossible. But don’t worry, this is where professional book editors come in! Working with a good editor can help you take your book from good to great. And not only that, but a good editor can also help you imp...

Last week, I got an email from a writer that said, "I really want to make a career out of writing fiction, but to do so, I know I can't spend two years working on the same novel. Do you have any advice for how I can finish a novel faster while still maintaining its quality?" And I love this ques...

Almost every writer struggles with imposter syndrome at one point or another. Usually, this looks like getting stuck somewhere in the process and asking things like, "Who am I to even write a book? What will people think? What if I finish it and it's terrible?" Can you relate? I know I can. I've...

Did you know that over 80% of adults want to write a book but only 3% ever get to 'The End' of a draft? That means that 97% of people who want to write a book never finish. Why is that? In this post, I'm we're going to explore why so many novels go unfinished, and what you can do to ensure you f...

How do you start writing a book? Are there certain things you should think about first, second, and third? If you're anything like the writers I work with, you've probably wondered some version of these questions at one point or another. In this post, I'm going to walk you through five questions...

If you want to buy a house or a car, it's common practice to create some kind of strategic plan for getting there, right? You save up some money, you do some research, and eventually, you accomplish your goal -- you buy the house, or you buy the car. So, why is it that when it comes to writing, ...