May 15Member-onlyCurio Fiction: Showcasing the Fantastic in Our WorldThere’s a particular subgenre of speculative fiction that scratches an itch for me like no other. It’s where you find yourself in a world very much like our own, except one thing is slightly…off. Perhaps there’s a movie theater that plays only memories, or the story centers on a child…Writing25 min readWriting25 min read
Jan 23Member-onlyI Made Every Single Recipe from One Cookbook — Here’s What I LearnedMy Villain Origin Story As a goal-oriented person, sometimes I can be a little . . . intense. With over 258 items on my bucket list and counting, I’m definitely a person who Does Things for the Sake of Doing Them. Skydiving. Getting a tattoo. Visiting an alpaca farm. …Baking21 min readBaking21 min read
Dec 30, 2022Member-onlyThe Ultimate Guide to Writing Engaging Descriptions in FictionWhat is reading but “just staring at pieces of dead trees for hours and hallucinating vividly,” as one clever reader put it? In fiction, the descriptions writers bring to the page spur readers to feel the story in their hearts and guts as they conjure scenes in their mind’s eye. …Writing24 min readWriting24 min read
Oct 28, 2022Member-onlyHow to Subvert Romance TropesWe all know there’s nothing new under the sun. No matter what you do, your story will be similar to another story in some way, but that’s actually a good thing! Readers and publishers are looking for narratives they already enjoy but with a twist: familiarity plus novelty. …Writing20 min readWriting20 min read
Aug 23, 2022Member-onlyHow to Return to Writing After a Long HiatusGetting back into writing can be daunting. Life happens, and sometimes a writer can go for years — even decades — without creating anything of note. …Writing7 min readWriting7 min read
Jul 26, 2022Member-only25+ Magical Book Covers That Will Ignite Your ImaginationCover design is an art unlike any other. A designer must convey the story’s heart and tone through color schemes, composition, font, and imagery — all so that a reader will be compelled to buy the book. …Books14 min readBooks14 min read
Jul 19, 2022Member-onlyWhat All Writers Can Learn from Folktales (Writing Exercise)“The spirit of the woods — the Bwca. I saw him once, when I was a child . . . He can look like whatever he wants to. But his true form is a sharp-eared thing, a hairy thing, a little like an old man and a little like a…Writing12 min readWriting12 min read
May 25, 2022Member-onlyHow to Punctuate DialogueAs a fiction editor, I’m often asked about the most common writing mistakes I see. It seems trivial, but incorrectly punctuated dialogue can make readers abandon an otherwise good book. Luckily, you can master this skill with practice and patience. Here, I’ll cover the difference between dialogue tags and action…Writing27 min readWriting27 min read
Mar 23, 2022Member-only5 Tips for Co-Writing a NovelCo-written novels aren’t a new thing. Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett collaborated on their fantasy novel Good Omens. Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child created the technothriller series Pendergast together. John Green and David Levithan made Will Grayson, Will Grayson a young adult smash hit. Countless authors gravitate toward the idea…Writing10 min readWriting10 min read
Mar 18, 2022Member-only6 Tips for Writing ThrillersWhat makes a novel a thriller? What differentiates it from mystery or suspense? I discussed these questions and more with fellow YouTuber Alexa Donne, who’s a thriller connoisseur and author of The Ivies, a YA boarding school thriller. Her upcoming thriller Pretty Dead Queens is all about small-town murder. We…Writing16 min readWriting16 min read
