Helping Writers Become Authors

Too many authors write story conflict that isn't so much conflict as a delaying tactic to fill their books. Learn how to fix this problem before it starts!

All you need to create complex supporting characters are the answers to these five important questions about each of your minor characters.

Struggling to plot your book? Good things happen when you focus on figuring out how to plot your book by first examining your antagonist's goals.

Is your character a one-trick pony? Learn 4 tricks for turning your one-dimensional character into a three-dimensional bombshell.

How to organize your novel's edits can seem like a complicated question. Use these 6 steps to make things as simple and straightforward as possible.

First, I'll show you three steps to mastering a killer skill (namely, how to write faster)--and then I'm going to tell you why maybe you shouldn't use it.

MEvery major problem in the Star Wars prequels could have been avoided with a little foresight. Discover 4 things you must consider in planning your story.

Many obstacles can get in your way as you try to finish your book. Here are six tips you you can use to identify and fix the problems standing in your way.

Sometimes having a writing superpower means having a writing super-weakness too. But that doesn't have to be you. Learn how to be good at ALL of writing.

Third-person POV is one of the most flexible and powerful points of view in fiction. Learn to master it--especially deep third--with these four tips.

Turns out accuracy isn't what's most important in your novel research. Instead, use these twelve steps to entrance readers with your story's authenticity.

Learn how to avoid four lethal types of info dumps, and, even better, how to use them as opportunities to strengthen every part of your writing.

Unsure whether you've reached your story's end? Answer these five questions to find exactly when to write the end to your story.

Armed with these five methods for micro-editing, you can trim your book's word count by tens of thousands of unnecessary words.

Learn 5 ways to trim your book's word count on the macro level and create a story that's all the tighter and more powerful for losing a few pounds.

Bad news: most authors are blind to their weak conjunctions. Good news: once you are aware of them, they're super easy to fix.

You can write perfectly structured scenes, but if they lack emotional arcs, they will still fall flat. Learn three ways to write powerful scene arcs.

Consider five prominent differences in books vs. movies, so you will understand which movie-centric techniques simply aren't going to work in your book.

Find out why originality is less crucial than you might think--and why you should still use this process to help you consistently write original stories.

Are you characters happy? They shouldn't be! Learn to tackle this common writing mistake caused by lack of interpersonal conflict.