In today's post, I'm covering the conventions of the performance genre.

I’m also going to show you how these conventions 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...

It’s almost December 1st,  which means National Novel Writing Month is coming to a close...

For those of you who participated in NaNoWriMo, please take a moment to acknowledge all the hard work you’ve done! No matter how much you wrote last month, you’re doing...

How do you organize your ideas so that you can write a story that works?

What if you’re just starting out and your idea hasn’t quite taken it’s full shape yet?

There’s a lot of advice out there when it comes to starting a story the “right way.” You can find a...

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...

Which point of view should you choose for your novel? Should you use multiple points of view or stick to just one? Is it better to write in the past tense or present tense?

Believe it or not, choosing which point of view to write your story from is one of the most important decisions 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...

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—...

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...