Not sure what's wrong with your writing? Learn 5 ways to identify writing weaknesses, recognize recurring patterns, and strengthen your fiction.

Hi, everyone! If you're new to the site and haven't seen this before, a quick word of explanation: every so often, I like to do a choose-your-own-adventure (CYOA) story, giving patrons a chance to de...

Check out this great listen on Audible.com. All the other stuff. Expanded Universe is a collection of short stories from The Last Picks. It includes the following: “Engineered Public Confession” A gli...

Writing an enemies to lovers romance? Learn 10 tips for making the journey from conflict to love feel believable. From creating real reasons for the characters to clash to building trust, chemistry, a...

Even though promotional copy (aka blurb) for your novel or memoir is necessarily brief, effective ones can take readers on an emotional journey.

Join bestselling authors Gregory Ashe, Macy Blake, and Charlie Cochet for the 2027 Working Draft Writing Retreat!

I write mysteries.

Learn how multiple POVs can deepen reader empathy, strengthen character relationships, and create richer emotional investment.

Join bestselling authors Gregory Ashe, Macy Blake, and Charlie Cochet for the 2027 Working Draft Writing Retreat!

Don’t let dangerous critiques turn your novel into a Jackalope by Anne R. Allen This week’s post is an updated version of a post from 2022. I’ve recently seen a number of new writers complain about ho...

Get into the habit of making choices, and you will get increasingly better with the choices you make.

Brandon Sanderson returns with his newly updated lecture series on how you can write your stories. Throughout the course, Brandon will discuss plot, characte...

Predictable ideas come quickly and feel safe. Interesting ones feel strange. The best ones might make you a little nervous. Stay open.

Explore how characters express emotions to connect with readers. Uncover the importance of authentic feeling in storytelling.

Struggle on the page doesn’t mean you lack talent. Here’s the secret behind how great writers improve, one difficult sentence at a time.

I created a flow chart to diagnose bad scenes. The chart will help you to identify the problems with your scenes and provide possible solutions. This is perfect for when you know something is wrong…

Discover the five essential elements that make readers genuinely care about your characters—clear goals, personal stakes, inner conflict, agency, and worldview—so you can write a protagonist who feels...