Writing Tips
Writing Tips is the general craft library — practical, standalone advice on the mechanics and psychology of fiction writing, from point-of-view management and reader engagement to diagnosing what’s actually wrong with a stuck scene. It’s a broader mix than the more focused Scene Craft or Revision categories, covering everything from sentence-level choices to the assumptions writers make about what readers already know. Built from real coaching sessions and fifteen-plus years of working with novelists, it’s a good place to browse if you’re not sure exactly what you’re looking for yet.
The Verb Audit: A Simple Tool That Will Transform Your Writing
I was teaching a workshop recently when a student asked, “How do I know if my sentences are working? I can see the scene in my head, but when I read it back, something feels flat.”
This is one of the most common problems writers face: the gap between the vivid story in your imagination and[…]
Your Character’s Secret Superpower: Being Present
A writing craft technique for fiction writers who want stronger, more immersive scenes.
Here’s a superpower you can give your character that readers instinctively respond to:
The ability to stay fully present in every scene.
No internal static.
No constant analysis.
Just clear, grounded attention to what’s happening right now.
The temptation is to explain everything through internal thought. But often,[…]
The Thought Trap: Why Most Writers Break Narrative Voice (And How to Fix It)
Many fiction writers struggle with narrative voice consistency — especially when writing character thoughts in close third person POV.
I was working with a writer recently on a compelling scene where his protagonist encounters something impossible—a mysterious bronze artifact that seems to defy the laws of physics, hovering in shallow water.
The description was vivid, the tension[…]
Interior Landscape vs. Thought Bubbles: Why Showing Beats Telling (Even When You’re Inside Their Head)
In my recent post about narrative voice consistency and italicized thoughts, I focused mainly on third-person narration. But what about first person? Surely when you’re already inside a character’s head, you can transcribe their thoughts directly without breaking voice?
Not quite.
Many fiction writers struggle with first person narrative voice, especially when deciding whether[…]
When Do You Know Your First Draft Is Done?
The most honest answer might surprise you.
“How do you know when you’re writing the words ‘the end’?” a writer recently asked me. She’d been hitting her daily word count target religiously—exactly 345 words per day, aiming for a 64,600-word first draft by a specific November date. But as she approached the end of her novel,[…]
Check Your Writer’s Battery: The Two Questions That Tell You Everything
I was coaching a client recently—let’s call him Joseph—who’s been working on a complex historical novel for several years. He’d just sent me some new pages, and we were settling into our session when I asked him what might seem like an odd question:
“How’s your battery?”
He paused. “What do you mean?”
“Your energy meter. Your drive[…]
Stop Optimizing for Sales: Why I’m Done Chasing Amazon Metrics
I was talking with a writer recently who’d just published her first novel. She’d done everything “right”—set up Amazon ads, joined KDP Select, read all the marketing gurus, tracked her data obsessively. She was spending hours every day tweaking keywords and analyzing click-through rates.
“I’m losing 20 cents on every dollar I spend,” she told me.[…]
The Art of Connective Tissue: Building Character in Fiction
Thank you to Jane Friedman for sharing an earlier version of this post on her blog.
Most writing advice tells you to cut ruthlessly. Start scenes late, leave early, trim the fat. Get to the point. Keep things moving. Don’t bore the reader.
But what if some of the most powerful writing happens in the[…]
How Chronology Shapes Scene Clarity
Why clear sequencing is the foundation of confident storytelling
Earlier this month, we talked about Simultaneity Syndrome—the tendency to cram multiple actions into single sentences. But avoiding simultaneity is just the first step toward something more fundamental: mastering what I call The Chronology Principle.
This principle is simple: when you establish clear chronology in your writing, readers[…]
From Talking Heads to Living Scenes: The Action-to-Dialogue Ratio
Why your characters need bodies, not just voices
“I like the second part better than the first,” I told a writer as we reviewed his restaurant scene. “And I like the third part better than the second.”
He looked puzzled. “What’s the difference?”
The difference was in what I call the action-to-dialogue ratio—how much physical movement, gesture, and[…]
What Comes After Your First Draft Is Done
From archaeologist to architect: The essential shift every novelist must make.
You did it. You wrote “The End” and it felt right. After months of daily word counts, character discoveries, and plot revelations, you have a complete first draft sitting on your desk (or in your computer).
But now what?
If you’ve been following the advice to[…]
Simultaneity Syndrome: Why Your Characters Can’t Do Everything at Once
How multi-tasking in fiction creates confusion instead of efficiency
“Gil stretched his lips into a tight smile, lifting his right shoulder in a subtle shrug.”
I paused on this sentence during a coaching session recently. “What’s the order of how these two verbs happen?” I asked the writer.
“Oh, he’s doing them at the same time,” came the[…]
Opening and Closing Switches: A Revision Tool That Creates Reader Satisfaction Without Killing Suspense
I was running a workshop recently when one of my writers brought up a problem that sounds familiar to anyone who’s ever written a mystery, thriller, or any story with multiple plot threads:
“I feel like I’m drowning in open questions,” she said. “I keep introducing new mysteries and complications, but I’m afraid if I answer[…]
Love Your Characters (Even the Bad Guys)
A lesson from the coaching chair
I was in the middle of a session with a client, working through a chapter where two antagonists—street-level killers named Anthony and Buzz—had cornered his protagonist in a hotel room. The scene had tension, it had stakes, but something felt off about the dialogue.
“Can I be really honest with you?”[…]
Scene, Don’t Tell: Why You Have to Be IN Scene to Show
The breakthrough that changes everything about “show, don’t tell.”
“They shouldn’t call it show, don’t tell,” my client said during our recent session. “They should call it scene, don’t tell.”
He’d just had a major breakthrough. After struggling for two years with his opening chapter—constantly listing information instead of letting readers experience his story—something had finally[…]
First Draft Finished? Before You Revise, Read This. (FREE Workshop Tomorrow)
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You Finished Your First Draft — Now What?
If you’ve recently completed a draft of your novel — or you’re close — pause for a moment[…]
The Dilation Zone: How to Slow Time in Your Fiction (Without Losing Momentum)
Mastering the art of expanding crucial moments
There’s a moment in every story when time needs to stretch.
It’s the moment that holds meaning. The moment your character changes. The moment something breaks, blooms, reveals itself, or disappears forever.
Most writers miss these moments entirely. They race through them, summarize them, or treat them like any other sentence[…]
When Your Story Premise Is Working Against You: A Case Study in Structural Problem-Solving
Last week I wrote about the difference between coaching and editing—how coaching fixes the writer while editing just fixes the manuscript. Today I want to share a real example of that distinction in action, because it perfectly illustrates why structural thinking matters more than surface fixes.
The Setup
I was running a workshop session where we were[…]
The Workshop That Will Change Your Writing in 2026
If you’re craving a writing community that’s small, supportive, and focused, and you’d love honest, manuscript-specific feedback from a published author who’s also a seasoned coach, you’re in the right place.
This isn’t about vague advice or trying to “fix” your entire novel overnight. This is about showing up consistently, getting targeted insight on your pages,[…]
How to Actually Read Your Own Draft (Without Getting Stuck)
You’ve finished your draft. Or at least, you’ve got enough pages that it’s time to step back and see what you have.
Now comes the hard part: actually reading the thing.
I know this sounds simple. You’re a writer. You read. Just open the file and start at the beginning, right?
But here’s what actually happens: You open[…]
Coaching vs. Editing: What’s the Difference (And Which Do You Need)?
I was talking with a client recently who asked a question I hear all the time:
“What’s the difference between coaching and editing?”
It’s a great question. And understanding the answer can save you thousands of dollars and months of frustration.
Let me break it down.
What an Editor Actually Does
When most writers think about hiring an editor, they[…]
Visual vs Non-Visual Verbs
How to make your prose more cinematic with better verb choices
“Which verbs in this paragraph do I like best?” I asked a writer during a recent coaching session, pointing to a passage filled with action.
He scanned the text: watched, changed, splitting, collapsed, walked, keeping, scanning, looked, were, was, laying, shouting, unstrapping.
“I’m gonna guess shouting,” he[…]
Make the Fast Stuff Slow: The Counterintuitive Art of Action Pacing
Why your biggest moments deserve your slowest writing
“She emptied her magazine into him.”
I paused on this sentence during a recent coaching session. Here was the climactic moment of an intense action scene—a police officer in a shootout, firing seventeen bullets to save her life—and it got less than half[…]
How to Thrive in Novel November Without Burning Out
Last week, I had the pleasure of hosting a webinar for writers gearing up for Novel November (formerly NaNoWriMo, conceptually). Thanks to ProWritingAid for hosting the event and sponsoring Novel November. We had about 160 people show up live, and I have to say—the energy was fantastic.
The Uncertainty Tax: Why Doubt Doesn’t Mean You’re Doing It Wrong
Sometimes the voice telling you it’s not working is just the sound of your writing practice coming back to life.
“I got stuck with them on site with the van,” my client told me during our session. She’d been writing her crime novel consistently, making progress, but now she was second-guessing everything.[…]
