You’ve written the big moment. The emotional crescendo. The climactic scene where everything your protagonist has struggled with comes to a head. And then… What? If you’ve ever found yourself […]
What If I’m Just Repeating Myself?
It’s a question that comes up more than you might think, especially among writers working on a second or third book: Am I just saying the same thing again? Maybe […]
Not Every Writing Day Looks Like Writing
Not every good writing day ends with a high word count. Some days, progress looks quieter than that. A lot of writers are very quick to dismiss the work that […]
Writing the Scene That Scares You
Every writer I know has one: a scene that sits quietly in the corner of the draft, waiting. The one you keep skipping. The one you keep meaning to come […]
How Much Backstory Is Too Much? A Writer’s Guide
One of the most common challenges writers face (especially in early drafts) is figuring out how much backstory is too much. The impulse to explain our characters and their histories […]
Do You Have to Say What Year Your Book Is Set In?
At some point in the drafting process, often when revising or thinking ahead to querying, a very practical question comes up: Do I have to say what year my book […]
When Is a Story Ready to Submit?
Submitting your writing to literary journals can feel like standing in front of a room full of strangers and reading your diary out loud. That moment when you hit “send” […]