Writing Process: Developing a Coherent Story — Guest: Jael R. Bakari

As we develop a story idea, how do we know if all the pieces fit together? Guest Jael R. Bakari is sharing her process for keeping track of all the details.

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Writing Process: Developing a Coherent Story — Guest: Jael R. Bakari

Do You Read Recently Published Books?

Should writers read current books in their genre? Some say this is common sense, but others think it’s controversial. Why should we read recent books?

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Do You Read Recently Published Books?

What Defines Our Story? Drive vs. Focus

Ever feel like popular writing advice doesn’t apply to your story? Defining our story’s mix of drive vs. focus might help us know when advice is a bad fit.

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What Defines Our Story? Drive vs. Focus

Is There an Easier Way to Write a Synopsis? — Guest: Romy Sommer

Have you struggled with writing a synopsis, query, or Amazon book description? Romy Sommer shares her 10 step process for finding the core of our story and writing synopses.

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Is There an Easier Way to Write a Synopsis? — Guest: Romy Sommer

Promo Tool: Making Videos with Lumen5

Yesterday I played with Lumen5, a super-easy video creator. It makes it easy to create videos from blog posts or other writing in just a few minutes. Should we use it? Let’s take a look at how we might use it for promotion.

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Promo Tool: Making Videos with Lumen5

Author Marketing: Insights and Ideas for Local Promotion — Guest: Elizabeth Randolph

We often hear advice about online marketing, but we shouldn’t forget local opportunities. Elizabeth Randolph is here to give her unvarnished look at a few local promotion options—what worked, what didn’t, and what she wants to try in the future.

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Author Marketing: Insights and Ideas for Local Promotion — Guest: Elizabeth Randolph

Storytelling: It’s about Going Primal — Guest: Elizabeth Randolph

When we first start writing, we often learn lots of new “rules,” which can narrow our focus onto writing craft so much that we lose sight of storytelling. How can we regain that storytelling mindset?

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Storytelling: It’s about Going Primal — Guest: Elizabeth Randolph

Story Tropes: Lazy or Helpful?

Every genre and medium of storytelling uses tropes, and they often have a bad reputation—for good reason. All too frequently, they can indicate lazy storytelling or worldbuilding. But they don’t have to be a bad thing.

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Story Tropes: Lazy or Helpful?

What’s “High Concept” & How Can I Create It? — Guest: Jeff Lyons

Last week, Jeff Lyons shared how to make every story idea the best it could be. Today he’s delving into the tricky description of high concept. Many agents and editors say they prefer high-concept stories, but what does that mean?

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What’s “High Concept” & How Can I Create It? — Guest: Jeff Lyons