Writing and Editing Tips

Romance is one of the best-selling genres in mass-market fiction with a large fan base of readers who just can’t get enough. In today’s post, I’m going to go over the ten conventions that must be present in your romance novel in order to satisfy those readers and to write a...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Thrillers are popular fiction for a reason. They combine the criminality and suspense of a good detective novel with the danger and pressure of a scary horror story. And while there’s no fool-proof way of writing a successful thriller, there are ways to ensure that your story is...