May 15 2019
I’m a big believer in listening and paying attention to all of the stories around you. To the people who talk about their days in a compelling way. To the family histories. To books, yes. To audiobooks. And to movies and TV shows. And in that vein, I would like to take a minute to validate all of you in your Netflix habits because I’m about to tell you to watch more movies. Stop feeling […]
Jul 6 2018
Good Afternoon, Pubcrawlers! If you’ve ever queried a manuscript or sold a book, then I think it’s safe to assume you’ve likely heard the word “pacing” in feedback for your project. Whether the pacing was too slow, too fast, or missing something, when I’m editing client projects or giving feedback on submissions, it’s one of the notes I give the most. When a novel is well-paced, it carries the reader through the story easily to […]
Mar 14 2016
Hello again! A couple of weeks ago, I gave you the start to a worksheet I use for every new project to help fill out my premise, story world, and how I choose to tell your story. Now I’d like to elaborate further on that sheet and go into the beginnings of character. Before you ever start outlining or even writing your draft, you have to know your characters. Some people do this by filling […]
Mar 4 2016
Hello again! Because I’ve been in the planning stages of a new project for a little while now, I thought I’d talk about What Comes Before You Start Writing. I know we’ve all read a million posts from various sources about outlining, but I’d like to talk about something a little different, and that’s giving yourself the tools to outline well, or perhaps work without an outline entirely (if you’re more of a pantser). I’ve […]
Mar 3 2016
This week Kelly and JJ get into WRITING MECHANICS, or How to Write a Book. Starting with Structure, they discuss what makes a good story: beginnings, middles, and endings. Also, TV show recommendations.