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Hinting at Unreliable Narrators & More | Weekly Roundup
This week on Weekly Roundup… Let’s talk about unreliable narrators, slow burn romance, and some tricks for addressing common writing problems in this week’s video. Hope you enjoy! 00:06 Slow burn romance 01:20 Hinting at unreliable narrators 04:02 Cinematic writing styles 04:36 Why do I hate my writing? 06:25 Structures for multi-POV stories 07:23 Balancing … Continue reading Hinting at Unreliable Narrators & More | Weekly Roundup
3 Ways to Write a Series & More | Weekly Roundup
This week on Weekly Roundup… Let’s talk about how to structure a book series, write mature themes into children’s literature, and a whole lot more in this week’s video. Hope you enjoy! 00:08 Making stories scarier 01:42 Three ways to write a series 03:46 How much dialogue is okay? 04:54 Burning your first draft 05:51 … Continue reading 3 Ways to Write a Series & More | Weekly Roundup
The 2 Types of Horror Stories | Weekly Roundup
This week on Weekly Roundup… Want to dabble in horror this Halloween season? In this week’s video, I break down what I see as two distinct approaches to horror, how to convey the death of a POV character, and more. (And if you want to see an example of a literary jump scare, check out … Continue reading The 2 Types of Horror Stories | Weekly Roundup
Tragic Backstories & Writing “Out of Character” | Weekly Roundup
This week on Weekly Roundup… Can a backstory be too tragic? What makes a character feel human? And when is it appropriate to write “out of character”? For answers to these and other questions, check out this week’s videos! 00:08 Can a backstory be too tragic? 02:00 Plotting 3 POV stories 02:47 When should characters … Continue reading Tragic Backstories & Writing “Out of Character” | Weekly Roundup
Writing Morally Ambiguous Characters | Weekly Roundup
This week on Weekly Roundup… Write morally ambiguous characters, embrace your inspirations, and fix boring plotlines with advice from this week’s videos! 00:07 Writing morally ambiguous characters 01:41 Driving the plot forward 02:52 Jumping ahead in time 03:23 Don’t fear your inspirations 05:19 Short or long descriptions in dialogue? 06:34 How to fix a boring … Continue reading Writing Morally Ambiguous Characters | Weekly Roundup
Enemies Turned Allies & Character-Driven Plots | Weekly Roundup
This week on Weekly Roundup… Ever want to turn an enemy into an ally? Or have you ever wanted to reveal your main character is going to die? Check out this week’s video for some advice! 00:12 Spoiling a character death 01:49 Enemies turned allies 02:30 Good characterization 03:27 Character vs. plot-driven stories 05:09 When … Continue reading Enemies Turned Allies & Character-Driven Plots | Weekly Roundup
First Kiss, Idea Theft, & Agatha Christie | Weekly Roundup
This week on Weekly Roundup… Need help writing a first kiss scene? Wondering how important (or unimportant) grammar is for writers? Check out this week’s live stream highlights! This week’s topics include: 00:10 Writing a first kiss 01:45 Is grammar important? 04:04 Fear of idea theft 05:04 How much characterization? 07:00 Advice for flashbacks 07:58 … Continue reading First Kiss, Idea Theft, & Agatha Christie | Weekly Roundup
Plot Holes, New Writers, & Love Triangles | Weekly Roundup
This week on Weekly Roundup… From plot holes and love triangles, to advice for new writers, this week’s Live Q&A went well! Here’s a full list of what I talk about in the highlights video: 00:09 Fixing a boring fight scene 01:31 Filling plot holes 02:24 Advice for new writers 05:07 Biggest mistake new writers … Continue reading Plot Holes, New Writers, & Love Triangles | Weekly Roundup
Magic, Love, and Biopunk | Weekly Roundup
This week, I share advice on writing memorable power systems, “friends to lovers” relationships, biopunk stories, and more.
YA Dystopias & Character Chemistry | Weekly Roundup
A Weekly Roundup: Trying something new It’s been a while since I last posted! Over a year, in fact. Why so long? Because in July of 2020, I started posting creative writing advice on TikTok — initially every day, and now every other day, with an hour-long live stream every Saturday. I also finished the … Continue reading YA Dystopias & Character Chemistry | Weekly Roundup
Find happiness where you are as a writer. Not where you’re going.
As writers, we often fall into a trap of dissatisfaction — always looking to future successes for happiness, instead of today. Here’s how to break free.
Complexity vs. simplicity: Stories that smell of the lamp, not of the sun.
In describing songs that are needlessly complex, Debussy said, “They smell of the lamp, not of the sun.” The same can be said of certain stories.
Writing advice isn’t the limit of good storytelling. It’s the beginning.
When I entered college in 2011, I became obsessed with finding out what makes a story worth telling. Many answers awaited me.
The Progressive Outline: How I balance my plotter and pantser tendencies.
When I first started writing, I was a pantser. Later, I became a plotter. Now I sit somewhere in the middle and use what I call a Progressive Outline.
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