writing tips

Dec 15, 20233 min read

Character Believability and Human Psychology

One of the biggest problems I’ve noticed in movies, television, and books is a lack of believability as it concerns human behavior and...

Nov 26, 20234 min read

4 Plot Shapes for Writing Novels

When writers first tackle novels, they are often at a loss about how to structure one. Even writers who have been working on their...

Nov 3, 20232 min read

Writing Heals Trauma

Using writing to process trauma Over the course of just two weeks, I had four different people ask me if I think writing can either help...

Jan 21, 20221 min read

Writing Tip: Let your characters be who they truly are.

Writing should not be like walking a vicious dog. Setting aside for a moment the issue of how to properly use a lease, let's consider...

Mar 5, 20211 min read

Character-driven writer?

Character-driven versus plot-driven? I’m character-driven all the way. I get a basic idea of what I want to write about and take about a...

Dec 20, 20201 min read

Character Naming Conventions

Quick writing tip: Characters need names that don’t suck. Like, every genre has its naming conventions, and going outside that isn’t fun;...

Sep 20, 20201 min read

Quick Character-making Advice

Advice #1: If a character’s really, really douchey, but they’re not entertaining, no one’s going to want to be around them. Knock that...