Do real writers need to write every day? I tackle this question in today's post to uncover what's myth and what's fact.

In this first post in the “Strong Beginnings” series, we’ll explore the promises made in a compelling first act that engross your reader so completely they don’t stop reading until they get all the way to the satisfying conclusion of your story.

The beautiful thing about the structure of the Flexible Writer’s Framework is that you can apply it at any stage of your writing process—which makes it perfect for pantsers and plotters alike. Learn how it works in this post.

A brief introduction to my upcoming book for writers, The Flexible Writer's Blueprint: How to Structure Your Novel for Plotters, Pantsers, and Everyone In Between and how you can get early access and get your questions answered now.

Story and alchemy have more in common than you'd think. An introduction to the relaunch of the Author Alchemist blog/newsletter, and five ways our stories compare with the philosophy of alchemy.

Crutch words are filler words that, if they were removed, wouldn’t affect the meaning of a sentence at all—and might actually improve it. Learn to spot common culprits in this post.

Adverbs are often demonized carte blanche in popular writing advice. But should they be? Are there ever instances where using an adverb is the right decision?

Balancing descriptive details with a compelling narrative can be tricky. Use this Conflict Sandwich recipe to help you make a pièce de résistance.

Many writers struggle with knowing how to make a scene relevant to their story or make it move the story conflict forward in a satisfying, compelling way. Read this for some pointers to help fix your own sagging scenes.

After ten years studying the craft and business of writing, here are my top recommendations for podcasts, blogs, books, and newsletter lists to add to your arsenal as a writer this year.

There is a fine balance between giving enough descriptive details to allow the reader to be visually grounded in a scene and the dreaded info-dump—piles of description that are completely unrelated to plot or action. In this post, I talk about the most engaging ways to include description in your writing and suck your readers into your world with the force of a hurricane that they are begging not to release them.

The point in your plot known as the “Black Moment” might occur in the last third of your story, but it’s one of the best places to start plotting, because it defines not only your character, but also what your story is actually about. Read this post to find out why.

By breaking down the elements of blurbs that consistently sell books, you, too, can create a compelling blurb. And the good news is, it’s not as hard as you think, and might even help you make your plot better.

An appropriately-crafted log line may not be a magic wand to fix plot problems, but it comes close. Check out these three common causes for “project flame-out” to help you fix your story.

As an author, you will be in multiple situations where you have the opportunity to get someone interested in your book in a very short window of time. That’s when you need an Elevator Pitch. Here’s how to make one.

Creating a log line before you begin drafting (or even after!) lets you see whether you have a story that will carry a novel or help you flesh out an idea into something that will. Use this simple plot structure device to make sure you have a story worth telling.

Most of us avoid conflict at all costs, but conflict in all its forms is the beating heart of great fiction. In this post, I give you simple tips on how to infuse more conflict into your writing.

Deep POV is immersing ourselves so deeply into the character’s head that we forget we’re reading about someone else. But how do you do that?

At its heart, marketing is simply telling a story that your Ideal Readers wants to be a part of. For authors, this is exactly what we do. That doesn’t seem so bad, right?

An overview of a few of the options self-published authors must choose between regarding getting their baby book out into the world where other people can buy it, including book design, printing, and distribution.