Specificity

Specificity

by | Craft

Being specific.   I read a well-loved book (and I enjoyed it, too, don’t get me wrong) but I discovered that the reason there were jarring elements was that she’d intended for the story to take place, believably, “anywhere.” It’s set in the U.S., or at least...
How to improve your reader’s experience.

How to improve your reader’s experience.

by | Promotion

Learning from UX.   In my coaching and editing practice, I work with nonfiction authors as well as fiction ones. I have worked with a good number of people from the tech world, specifically UX design. If you’re not familiar with that field, UX means “User...
3 Things to Know

3 Things to Know

by | Craft, Writing Life

There are three things you should know to be a successful writer.   That may seem facile, clickbait for writing courses and coaches. But it really does boil down to three things: What’s your goal? What’s your writer archetype? What’s your process? They are...
Tap into Psyche

Tap into Psyche

by | Craft

WELCOME TO THE ID. The Oxford dictionary defines the id as “the part of the mind in which innate instinctive impulses and primary processes are manifest.” In a nutshell, the id is all about subconscious instincts, drives, desires. We might not think about them, but...

The Real Reason You’re Not Marketing

by | Promotion

How much marketing are you doing, really? How much “platform building”? Being honest: probably not that much. Am I right? If you’re published, you may only send out a newsletter just before a release date.  If you’re unpublished, you may blog...