Most writers dream of quitting their jobs to write full-time. But here’s the twist: many of the greatest authors did their best work while juggling day jobs.In this episode, we’ll dive into the stories of famous writers who turned payche...

Most story ideas that excite you at 2 AM seem paper-thin by Thursday afternoon. Here's the truth: your idea probably isn't too small, you just haven't learned how to dig deeper. While other writers chase the next shiny concept, successful autho...

Do you have a folder full of half-finished drafts? You’re not alone. Almost every writer has started a story with excitement, only to abandon it when the magic fades.In this episode, I’ll share why this happens, the mindset shifts that h...

Every writer wrestles with doubt from time to time. But if you don’t know how to handle it, that doubt can stall your story for months or even years. In this episode, I’m dismantling three of the most common myths that keep writers stuck and re...

Backstory often gets blamed for slowing a story down. Writers are told to cut it, sprinkle it lightly, or avoid it altogether.But here’s the truth: the wrong backstory, delivered the wrong way, at the wrong time is the problem.

Your opening line is your reader’s first invitation into your story, so it has to do more than just start the book. It has to hook.  In this episode, I'm sharing 3 powerful strategies to craft a first sentence that grabs your reader...

We don’t just read stories to find out what happens. We read to witness who a character becomes.So how do you show that change? Not by stating it outright, or having another character comment on it, but through behavior, inner voice, and...

When dialogue works, it feels alive. It's charged with tension. It reveals character, drives the plot, and leaves space for the reader to lean in and feel what’s left unsaid. But when it doesn’t? It falls flat, feels forced, or gets skimmed ove...

You’ve finally shared your pages with someone. Maybe it was a critique partner, a writing group, an editor, or beta reader. You were nervous, but hopeful, maybe even excited, and then the feedback came. And now you’re spiraling.Maybe the...

There’s a lot of writing advice out there, but not all of it serves you. In this episode, we’re unpacking 3 common writing myths that might be slowing you down or making you second-guess your story. If you’ve been feeling stuck, this is ...

Writing your first novel can feel like dumping 1000 puzzle pieces onto the floor without the picture on the box to guide you. You've got characters, scenes, maybe even a few moments you love, but you have no clear sense of what it all adds up t...

Struggling to get past chapter one, even with a solid outline and a great idea? In this episode, we unpack why starting your novel feels so hard, what’s really behind the block, and how to take the first imperfect steps forward. 

In this episode, we’re zeroing in on one of the most important (and most rewritten) parts of your novel: the first chapter.A strong first chapter doesn’t need to be long or dramatic, but it does need to hook the reader, ground t...

You’ve written pages. Maybe even chapters. But your scenes still aren’t landing the way you imagined. The pacing drags. The tension fizzles. And you’re not sure why.In this episode, we’re diving into the 3 essential elements that ...

Writing a book isn’t just a creative act—it’s a mental marathon. And if you’ve ever found yourself stuck in self-doubt, overwhelmed by the blank page, or spiraling after a tough writing day, you’re not alone.In this episode, we’re diving...

You've got an exciting plot. Compelling characters. And the action is moving along at a crisp pace. But something still feels flat. Chances are, your character’s inner world isn’t fully making it onto the page.In this episode, we’...

Stuck in a writing slump? You’re not alone.In this episode, we’re talking about those hard, heavy moments when the words won’t come, your story feels stalled, and self-doubt creeps in. Slumps are a normal part of the creative cycle, but ...

You’ve built your character's world and raised the stakes. But how do you end your story in a way that feels true and unforgettable?In this episode, I’m breaking down the 4 biggest mistakes writers make with endings, plus 5 different way...

Among the most important (and intimidating) decisions you'll make as a writer is how to begin your story. That opening moment sets the tone, establishes the world, and signals to your readers what kind of story they're stepping into. <...

Writing dialog can feel deceptively simple. After all, it's just people talking, right? But in far too many stories, characters are recapping the plot or revealing too much of what they're thinking or feeling. The dialogue is pure exposition, d...

Writing your story setting requires more than just pretty language, and does so much more than provide the physical setting. It anchors the reader in time and place while immersing them in a tactile sensory experience in every scene. <...

Revising a first draft can feel overwhelming. Where do you start? What do you cut? How do you keep your original vision alive How do you take all the moving parts and refine it into a more coherent, effective whole? In th...

Retrospective narrators have the power to tell your story with both raw immediacy and hard earned wisdom. This narrator doesn’t just recall the past – he or she reinterprets it.What makes it tricky is that you’re not just telling the sto...

There’s something captivating about seeing a story unfold through a child’s perspective. Child narrators strip away the layers of adult logic, cynicism and pretense, revealing raw wonder, confusion or even unexpected wisdom.But writing f...

The unreliable narrator is one of the most powerful storytelling techniques. Whether you're writing in first-person or third, an unreliable narrator compels readers to interpret what's happening, looking for clues that reveal the truth beyond t...