Somewhere along the way, a message took root in the writing world: if you haven’t published your first novel by 30, or 40, or 50, you’ve missed your chance. This […]
What to Cut, What to Keep: Editing Your Draft with Confidence
So you finished a draft. Congratulations! Pause here for a second. Really pause. This thing you’ve done puts you in a small, determined club. Most people never get this far. […]
Multiple Points of View vs. Single POV
One of the questions I hear most from fiction writers sounds simple on the surface and turns out not to be simple at all. Should I use a single point […]
What to Do When Your Draft Feels Boring
It happens more often than you might think: a writer hits the midpoint of a project, looks at their screen, and thinks, Is this… dull? If you’re wondering what to […]
Setting Writing Goals That Actually Work
The start of a new year always feels like an invitation, doesn’t it? A clean page. A chance to pause, take stock, and set intentions for the writing life you […]
Writing Through a Fog: When Life Is Too Much
There are times when sitting down to work feels like writing through a fog. The words don’t come easily, or at all. Your thoughts feel scrambled. Your motivation, distant. The […]
Why Writing 500-Word Chapters Might Be the Best Way to Draft Your Novel
If you’re looking for a way to gain momentum and maybe even finish a draft, let me offer one small, surprisingly effective idea: Write 500-word chapters. Yes, just 500 words […]