Are you trying to outrun winter?

Are you trying to outrun winter?

by | Craft, Writing Life

In my last newsletter, I talked about the pursuit of “guaranteed success” and improving your odds, even as, again, you can’t possibly control all elements. Some of you may have decided “well, I’m going to lean in to all the things that...
How do I know my book is good enough?

How do I know my book is good enough?

by | Craft

This is one of the hardest, most heart breaking questions I get asked as an editor and a coach. For one thing, it is impossibly subjective. There is no scientific instrument where you pop your manuscript in, push a button, and after a few whirring minutes get a...
Ever feel like there’s too much to do?

Ever feel like there’s too much to do?

by | Craft

  Let’s face it: there’s a lot of advice out there if you want to be a “successful” author. You have to write a hook-filled, conflict-driven, character-driven, plot-driven, well-edited, cutting-edge, and unique story, that still fulfills...
Do you know what genre you’re writing?

Do you know what genre you’re writing?

by | Craft

  You’d think this was a slam-dunk simple question. How hard can it be, to know what you’re writing? As it turns out – it’s pretty hard. A surprising percentage of the people I work with, whether that’s in coaching sessions or query package critiques, aren’t...
4 Tricks When You Don’t Know What to Write

4 Tricks When You Don’t Know What to Write

by | Craft

Whether you’re a plotter or a pantser (or a plontser – somewhere in between on the spectrum of story planning), there are going to be times when you stare at the page or plot outline and think… I have no idea what comes next. Sometimes you’ll write a...