Writing and Editing Tips

“If I’m just getting started with writing, what are some things I should focus on?”

“What are some of the things I should avoid doing if I actually want to finish my book?”

These are questions I get asked all the time! And in today’s post, I’m going to...

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...

In today's post, I'm covering the obligatory scenes of the morality genre. If you want to write a morality story that works—and that satisfies fans of the genre—then you need to nail these six key scenes in your novel.

I’m also going to show you how these key scenes manifest in...

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...

In today's post, I'm covering the obligatory scenes of the crime genre. If you want to write an intriguing crime story that works—and that satisfies fans of the genre—then you need to nail these six key scenes in your novel.

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

In today's post, I'm going to walk you through the ten action genre conventions. So, these are the character roles, settings, and events that need to be present in an action story in order for it to work and to satisfy fans of the genre. 

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

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...