Merry Christmas, Wordplayers!
Dear Wordplayers, Merry Christmas! I love Christmas. It has always been far and away my favorite…
12 of My Favorite Books in 2023
For a few years now, I’ve been lamenting that I wasn’t reading at the pace I…
How to Market a Book: 6 Steps From a Full-Time Author
While some of us may have known even as children that, “I want to be a…
Gift Guide: 10 Digital Christmas Gifts for Writers
Writing is a journey, and every writer deserves tools that turn their literary dreams into reality….
14 Do’s and Don’ts of Time Management for Writers (from a Recovering Over-Achiever)
For many of us, writing is one of the most important things in our lives. And…
Happy Thanksgiving, Wordplayers!
Hey, Wordplayers! This Thursday is Thanksgiving in the U.S. It’s also the last day of the…
25% Off All Books, Courses, Software, and Meditations for Black Friday
This holiday season, I am doing something I’ve never done for Black Friday before. I’m offering…
Violence in Fiction: 6 Archetypes
From KMW: The dictionary tells us the definition of violence is: “Behavior involving physical force intended…
“There and Back Again”: The Lord of the Rings and the Power of Despair in Fiction
Someone asked me recently what I thought made an original story. One piece of my answer…
Write Better Action Scenes: Make It About the Characters
[From KMW: Since I am traveling this week, I’m offering up a shorter post today about…
Figure Out Your Story’s Magic System Using Story Structure
From KMW: If you’ve ever written a story that falls into the broad genre of speculative…
How to Use Archetypes in a Series
One of the most common questions I receive is how to use archetypes in a series….
How Meditation Can Inspire Your Next Story
As writers, it often seems we are channeling our stories more than creating them. So it…
Announcing Archetypal Character Guided Meditations! (+Giveaway)
All this summer, I have been working hard on a secret project that combines two of…
What Are Antagonistic Proxies? And How Can They Help Your Story?
Understanding how story works means stripping it down to the basic mechanics that undergird storyform itself….
Where Should You Start Plotting Your Story?
Where should you start plotting your story? Why, at the beginning of course! Except… when it…
Hot Tip for Character Relationships: The Relationship IS a Character
Character relationships are at the heart of most stories. Few protagonists successfully exist in a vacuum….
How to Rediscover the Joy of Writing
It’s something of an irony that most of us come to writing because we love it—and,…
What Are Plot Devices? (Why You Should Be Cautious)
What are plot devices? Basically, they’re exactly what they sound like: events that maneuver the plot…
The Two Most Important Tricks for How to Build Suspense
Perhaps the greatest skill necessary to keep readers glued to your pages is learning how to…
How to Write Interesting Happy Scenes? 6 Tips
With so much emphasis in fiction writing put upon the importance of conflict, a seemingly apt…
8 Different Types of Scenes
Any story will require many different types of scenes. Some of this variety will come from…
How to Use Misdirection in Your Story for Greater Impact
[Just a short post today, so I can put some energy into a super-secret project I…
How to Discover What Your Character Fears
At the root of all character motivations are a handful of deeply primal drivers. Love and…