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Yes, I’m going to explain how to write a book in 750 words. After writing more than seventy books myself, I feel I can boil down the book-writing process to several simple tips. Note that I said book-writing process. Before attempting to write a book longer than Goodnight Moon, a person should understand and be […]

One of the crucial elements of any book query package is the synopsis: a very condensed version of the story, presented in just a few pages. This holds true whether the book is fiction or nonfiction, but publishers and potential agents most definitely want to see synopses for novel submissions. When I first started in […]

Structure is one area that beginning writers struggle with the most. We all know our stories should have suspense, surprise, drama, intrigue, and all sorts of other spicy elements. But how do we create a structure that delivers all of these elements? Over the years of working with writers as and editor and creative writing […]

Years of editing have taught me a great deal about writing, and I’m very grateful for it. But an editor’s path can be a tricky one when it comes to writing her own book. As so many of you who are inclined toward self-editing will know, it’s so easy to get mired in the morass […]

Attention to proper formatting will help your submission stand out. If you use Microsoft Word, here’s how your paragraph settings should look. Format examples.

This revision tool will help strengthen your narrative and pacing, show where your manuscript is text heavy, and eliminate excess description.

If you can’t put your finger on what’s wrong, it’s quite likely you simply have a problem with your skeleton. The basic narrative/character arc is your story’s skeleton. It is the structure upon which all else sits.

How long is too long, and how short is too short? First let’s look at typical word counts for various literary categories.

What follows is a list of questions authors of fiction and narrative nonfiction can ask themselves while rewriting, to help them clarify their ideas and shape their expression for greater impact. The list can also be useful before the fact and as a guide while writing...

Compassion Compassion is at the top of the list. Without it, I can't imagine a writer getting very far. As writers, we are often too hard on ourselves, either because we haven't kept to a writing goal, or we got rejected from an agent, or we beat ourselves up, or...