At its simplest, conflict consists of the obstacles your protagonist faces in her quest to achieve her objective. Without it, your story would be super short and not so fulfilling.
Read moreWhat Taylor Swifts Vault Tracks Can Teach Authors About Not Killing Your Darlings
If the vault tracks are tracks that didn’t make the original albums, then they’re a variation of the “scraps” I tell authors to save from their drafts. They’re scenes, storylines, characters, images, and just pretty combinations of words that don’t fit in the current work in progress for one reason or another.
Read moreBrain Science of Writing with Community
What’s actually happening in our brains when we’re in the middle of a great group writing session with the right group of people?
Read moreOvercoming the Top 3 Challenges Indie Authors Face
I’ve been helping authors overcome these challenges for years—and I’ve been doing a lot of work to overcome them in my own writing practice, as well.
Read moreHow Body Doubling Can Boost Your Writing
We know anecdotally that body doubling leads to increased productivity, decreased anxiety around our work, and more satisfaction in what we’ve accomplished.
Read moreOvercoming My Biggest Writing Challenge in 2023
This year I have been busier than ever, and shorter on time than ever. And for most of the year, my writing—both personal and professional—took a huge hit as a result.
Maybe you can relate?
A big part of the problem was that I was holding on to the idea of the “perfect” writing session. I wanted those luxurious, hours-long chunks of time with the perfect playlist, perfect candle, and no distractions. But those have been impossible to get more than once in a blue moon, so for a long time I just didn’t write.
But I missed it, and I decided it was time to bring writing back into my life, one way or another.
Lately, I’ve let go of that ideal writing session and embraced writing in brief little spurts:
✨10 minutes while waiting for grocery pickup
✨15 while dinner’s in the oven
✨5 when I’m early for a meeting
At first I used the notes app on my phone; now I’ve switched to Notion because I like how easily it keeps things organized and syncs between phone and computer.
But the tool doesn’t really matter. It’s the mindset shift.
I still crave those perfect writing sessions, and I’m hoping to treat myself to one a month in the new year. But when I keep my writing top of mind by dipping in and out whenever I can, I make much more progress—and I feel better about my works in progress—than when I wait for perfect.
If you can relate, you might enjoy my new, free mini-journal: 10 Practical Tips to Build a Sustainable Writing Practice.
As always, feel free to reach out and let me know what you’re working on! I always enjoy hearing where you are in your writing process and, whenever you need it, discussing how I can support your goals.
Is White Room Syndrome Taking All the Color Out of Your Fictional World?
One thing I’m consistently guilty of in my fiction drafts is “White Room Syndrome.” I’ll have pages and pages of dialogue with nothing to give it color or movement or sense of place. My scenes lack sensory details, leaving my characters floating in some sterile void.
If this challenge resonates with you, here are four revision strategies for eliminating white room syndrome and grounding your characters (and your readers) in space and time.
Read moreHow to Write Your Second Draft
Buckle up, because this is going to be a big revision. If the first draft was you telling the story to yourself, the second is about figuring out how to tell it to other people. But here’s the truth: you’ve got this.
Read moreUnpacking Character Motivation in Fiction: Internal vs. External Motivation
There are two types of motivations—or objectives—that writers have to keep in mind as they’re plotting their novels: internal and external.
Read more5 Kinds of Plot Holes in Your Novel—& How to Fix Them
Yes, they undermine your writing, and yes, they need to be fixed. But with a deep breath and a little critical analysis, plot holes may not be quite the monsters we make them out to be.
Read more