6 Self-Editing Hacks to Make Your Manuscript Shine
There’s a lot you can do to edit your book without hiring a professional editor So you’ve finally written that book you’ve been working on for what seems like your entire life. You’ve followed your outline precisely or, if you’re…
I Tested Out Paid Beta Readers So You Don’t Have To
To beta read, or not to beta read, that is the question Oh, beta readers. If you’re a writer in the midst of writing and editing a novel, you’re probably quite familiar with the term. It’s the idea that you…
The Ins and Outs of Book Pitch Events
Is pitching your novel — online or in-person — a worthwhile endeavor? If you’ve written a novel, you’re probably familiar with something that all writers dread: the pitch. Summing up a novel you’ve spent countless hours revising, proofreading, and developing…
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…
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?)…
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…
Writing Emotional Scenes
Emotions are hard to experience, much less convey in your writing. One of the hardest things we face as writers is conveying emotion. Using words to make someone feel — better yet, to make a reader understand your characters — is tricky. I’ve mentioned…
The Art of the Synopsis
Planning that even a pantser can use. So you’re writing a book. Or planning to write a book. Or you have an idea for a book to write one day, that for now sits in the back of your mind,…
How to Get Your Writing in Every Day
Writing can sometimes seem daunting, but if you keep at it every day you will succeed Talk to any established writer and they’ll likely all tell you versions of the same thing —to write successfully, you have to write. I’ve…