What should you do if you get stuck while writing a novel? I've had a lot of writers reach out to me via email or in my private Facebook group asking this exact question. It’s also something that happens to all of us at one time or another -- we all get stuck at some point int he writing process...

What's the difference between genre conventions and tropes? Do all conventions count as tropes? Or not? If you've ever asked these questions, you're not alone. A lot of the writers I work with feel confused about genre conventions and some of them even worry that by including certain genre conv...

Do you ever have trouble making each of your characters unique? Have you ever wondered how to write a large cast of characters in a way where each character stands out from the others? In today's post, I'm going to show you my favorite strategies for crafting memorable characters. Specifically,...

What are the differences between scenes and chapters?   Should each scene be its own chapter? Or can a chapter have multiple scenes?   These are questions I get from writers all the time. So, if you’ve ever felt confused over scenes versus chapters, you’re not alone!  ...

Have you ever spent weeks rewriting the same pages over and over again without making any kind of forward progress? Have you ever felt scared to share your work with other people because you just know your story could use a little more polishing? If you're nodding your head yes, don't worry -- ...

In today's post, I'm covering the obligatory scenes of the performance genre. I’m also going to show you how these key scenes manifest in three popular movies—The Mighty Ducks, Cool Runnings, and The Karate Kid. Why movies? Why not books? Well, the simple answer is that movies require less tim...

Happy #Preptober everyone! 🎃👻 I love this time of year. You get to dress in cozy layers, drink hot tea and coffee all day, decorate for Halloween, and consume all things pumpkin spice and cinnamon!  But besides all that, it's also a month of intense preparation for any writer who's planning to ...

In today's post, I'm covering the obligatory scenes of the worldview genre. If you're writing a young adult novel or a story in which a character goes through a major life change, then this post is for you! I’m also going to show you how these six key scenes manifest in three popular movies—The ...

In today's post, I'm covering the must-have conventions of the horror genre. If you want to satisfy fans of the genre and write a horror story that works, you need to include these things in your novel. I’m also going to show you how these conventions manifest in three popular movies—Halloween, ...

In today's post, I'm covering the obligatory scenes of the horror genre. If you want to scare (and satisfy) fans of the genre AND write a horror story that works, you need to nail these six key scenes in your novel. I’m also going to show you how these key scenes manifest in three popular movies...

In today’s post, I’m going to show you how to use the Hero’s Journey to map out your novel. If you aren’t familiar with the Hero’s Journey, it’s a popular story structure template that subdivides the beginning, middle, and end of a story into 12 stages. Each of these stages has a specific pu...

Are you writing a young adult novel? Or a story about a character who’s going through a major life change or transition? If so, you’re going to love today’s post on the conventions of the worldview genre! The worldview genre can be found in almost every story. It’s the emotional arc (or ...