Sitemap - 2024 - Real talk about traditional publishing.
A final critique before the new year (and an update!)
The trick to writing a short synopsis for a novel
How to choose a POV for your novel
Building tension scene by scene
A quick guide to dialogue tags.
Finding the right pace in scenes with lots of dialogue.
"I mostly write YA, but my latest is MG—should I query it?"
Watch your tone. (In your book, that is.)
Getting to know the other characters in your scene.
4 Alternatives to Outlining a Novel
World-building matters, no matter the genre.
Your first chapter should be a strip tease.
The case for writing your novel FAST.
"Do form rejections from agents means something is wrong with my book?"
When BIG book deals fizzle in-house
Moody motel owners, middle grade melodrama, and memoir summaries...
Do publishers REALLY want authors on BookTok?
Is hiring a book publicist worth it?
How big of an advance will a publisher give your book?
The importance of transitions and weaving in exposition
Foreshadowing and scary villains in middle grade
What should a query for a memoir include?
Writing kid (character) dialogue
How to plot your novel on one page
How long (or short) should a chapter be?
What does the "inciting incident" look like?
Is the plot of your novel TOO simple?
In which I write about not writing...
So do editors hate prologues, or what?
Help me write a serial (please).
The "rules" on comp titles and debut word counts
I'm breaking out of this time loop...
Let's talk about literary agents stealing ideas.
Revising your novel? Make a book map first.
How to pitch a multi-POV novel
Six reasons your plot isn't working
This is why you don't want to write that scene.
Will the real shady lit agents please stand up?
"Why can't I write like THAT?"
Packing themes and plot into a pitch.
This is the magic formula for pitching your book.
Can a "good" agent be at a "bad" agency?
Should authors respond to reviews of their books?
What's the secret to GREAT opening pages?
"Should I rewrite this book...or trash it?"
My books sold almost half a million copies. Publishers don't want the next one.