Hot take: Professional beta reading is an oxymoron. The core value of beta reading is the reader’s role as a stand-in for your eventual audience—everyday readers who pick up your […]
Should you hire a professional beta reader? Read More »
This week’s post at The Writes of Fiction explores a topic I’ve been exploring from a writer and book coach’s point of view for some time now: the archetypal world
Unlock character arcs with the archetypes of the tarot Read More »
Should you—could you—be getting feedback on your book from peers or readers, or is it time to get professional eyes on your manuscript? My latest post as a resident writing
Feedback or Editing: What sort of input to get when Read More »
Vocabulary and the way a character speaks are the outer layer of character voice—the icing on the cake. Instead of trying to build character voice from the outside in, get under the
The secret to authentic character voice Read More »
“Is my writing good enough?” is one of the first questions most writers ask when they get in touch about editing or coaching. Unfortunately, I can’t answer that because there’s
Is my writing good enough? Read More »
Getting a manuscript ready for professional editing is notoriously painstaking work. It drags you into seemingly endless rounds of scrutiny: searching for plot holes, questioning the characters’ motivations, adding zing
When are you ready for professional editing? Read More »
Do you get sucked into spending more time reading about writing fiction than actually doing it? I’ve just updated my short list of the best books on writing, so you
Updated: Best books on writing for writers Read More »
It’s all too easy to overstuff your writing when you’re striving for a natural, unstrained tone. We lean on filler words in conversation to soften our speech and build connections,
Cues for review or revision Read More »
If you’ve never used Microsoft Word’s Track Changes feature before, the idea of getting your manuscript back from an editor filled with all sorts of lines and squiggles you have
Tangled up in Track Changes? Read More »
This article is about the parts of writing a novel that don’t involve writing. It’s not about the business side of being an author. It’s not about book design and
Prewriting: 6 parts of the writing process that aren’t writing Read More »
