The Art of the Flashback
Flashbacks in your story can be useless, or they can be an incredible way to add characterization or further your plot. The choice is up to you. Do you know something that bothers me when I am reading a novel?…
Are Writing Conferences Worth It?
Or are they just another way for writers to waste their hard-earned money? Writing conferences. If you’re a writer (like most of you reading this probably are), then you’ve at least heard of them. You’ve maybe even attended one or…
How to Write a Logline for Your Novel
Condensing your story into one sentence is nervewracking, but not impossible I recently attended a writing conference where there were pitch appointments available for all attendees. This is one of the biggest perks of attending a writing conference in my…
A Curated Look at April*
My curation ratio was down, but my output was up. Medium has been one big science experiment to me lately. I’m trying to look at my articles like a chemist would look at a formula to determine what’s working, and…
4 Steps to Write a Novel Manuscript in 4 Months With No Plan
The key is to actually write So you’re writing a novel. Or thinking about writing a novel. Either way, you have dreams of becoming a published novelist one day and making the New York Times best-seller list (don’t we all?)…
5 Ways to Make Writing a Less Lonely Business
Writing may be an individual sport, but that doesn’t mean you can’t develop your own team to weather the industry Writing is a solitary business. If you’re like me, you’ve probably heard that adage before. Writing is, simply by nature…
Is Novel Writing Software Worth It?
As a pantser who is wholly (and woefully) unorganized, I say yes If you’ve been in the writing world for long, you’ve probably heard about the various writing software out there that is tailored specifically to writers. Long gone are the…
We Need to Do Better with Simultaneous Submissions
And by we, I mean all of us as writers, because small presses, journals, and magazines deserve better To date, my most viewed story is “An Editor’s Tips on Submitting to Literary Journals.” The people of Medium seem to like…
Should You Use a Pen Name?
The answer is yes, and also no Up until I met my writing friend, Nicole, the thought of using a pen name literally never crossed my mind. I like my actual name and don’t plan on writing anything scandalous during…
How to Leave Breadcrumbs in Your Story
Foreshadowing is an artform you should learn to master if you want to be a successful writer When you read the title of this article, what do you envision? For many, it probably brings images of a “Hansel and Gretel” movie…