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The Edge of Discomfort

Aug 14 2019
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Beginner Resources, Inspiration, Writers Toolbox, Writing Life

Hi everyone! I’m back from the other side of another deadline. I swear there’s some kind of gravitational pull between when I signed up on the posting schedule around here and when my books are due. Life works in mysterious ways. I’m also back with another sports training metaphor. Y’all ready? Okay, good. Let’s go. When you train— and literally this is any kind of athletic pursuit— what you’re often going for is finding a […]

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Watch More Movies (For Real)

May 15 2019
Posted in:
Writers Toolbox

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 […]

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There Is No Wrong Way To Write A Book

Apr 17 2019
Posted in:
Beginner Resources, Writers Toolbox, Writing Life

I was lucky enough to sit on a panel this weekend and I’ve been thinking about something that kept coming up— the process. The process is how you write a book. How you get from the start of a book all the way to the end. That secret, sacred, all-magical, all-encompassing trick that a writer has for producing a story. And there I sat, in the middle of a group of panelists, who all had […]

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What I’ve Learned by Writing a Trilogy

Apr 16 2019
Posted in:
Beginner Resources, Industry Life, Writers Toolbox, Writing Life

I’ve always been a sucker for a trilogy. It started with the countless Star Wars marathons my brothers and I watched together. From there, I’d pick up N.K. Jemisin’s Broken Earth series and Pierce Brown’s Red Rising trilogy. Genius compilations like Lilith’s Brood and The Hunger Games and The Lord of the Rings. They say good things come in threes. That includes my own breakthrough in the industry. Back in 2014, Random House acquired Nyxia. […]

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A New Method for Antagonists

Feb 6 2019
Posted in:
Beginner Resources, Writers Toolbox, Writing Life

I’ve had the pleasure over the past few summers to teach at Duke Young Writers’ Camp. One of my favorite courses was a Dark Fiction class for middle grade students. It was an opportunity to walk young writers through fiction that really pushes the boundaries. Unsurprisingly, many of my young writers go a little too far. One infamous story featured a villainous assassin targeting a list of grandmothers. It was a great opportunity to talk […]

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